Tweeting for cheer! It's #Positivetwitterday

Twitter usually makes the news for all the wrong reasons, but one user has decided enough is enough.

Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future, a think-tank that looks at national identity, has declared today Positive Twitter Day, encouraging tweeters to call an amnesty on negativity on the social media site.

The idea came from a conversation he had with political tweeter Guido Fawkes.

Mr Katwala explained: “Positive Twitter day is just a small, fun way to show that most of us enjoy social media because we like engaging with people. It’s not organised or imposed - it’s an idea that resonates with many people because we don't see why it should always be the trolls who get to set the tone.

“People with very different views think we can disagree about politics, religion or anything else and still be civic to each other. That isn't an issue for Twitter or governments - it’s up to tweeters to decide how we want to behave towards each other.

“Other people can be snarky about it if they want - they can be part of the chorus, if they can't cheer up for a single day and that helps to have the debate about what we all want from social media. But this has been a summer when the miserabilists have been on the back foot.

“The Olympic and Paralympic summer has surprised many people - it’s been a really inclusive celebration of London and Britain, and its turned out that we really being a society that likes who we are, which celebrates success as well as criticising failure, and where you can talk to people on the tube. Obviously, the Olympics don't last forever.

“British Future's polling shows most people think the spirit of this summer will have a lasting effect on British society - but we need to realise that it’s really up to us as to whether it does or not.”