Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has thrown the popular social media platform into turmoil. His various changes to the app and its impending consequences, leave many users at an impasse: what will become of the app, and if people leave, where will they go next?
On October 27th, Musk completed his notorious $44-billion purchase of the platform, and immediately fired CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, and various other top executives. He followed this with a much larger wave of layoffs; the workforce was initially estimated to have been cut down by 50% — about 3,700 employees. As of November 18th, Fortune reports that an estimated 1,200 more have since resigned out of protest. Not only did these layoffs diminish the company’s working capacity, but it also created a sense of foreboding doom for the company, its future, and Musk’s intentions.
In addition to the devastating layoffs, Musk immediately privatized the company. He began broadcasting additional plans through his own Twitter account, such as replacing the platform’s verification system with an $8 monthly charge for a blue checkmark, and allowing misinformation and hate speech to be freely tweeted on the platform — albeit “deboosted and demonetized.” Furthermore, he reinstated previously banned accounts, such as comedian Kathy Griffen, author Jordan Peterson, and after a publicly tweeted poll, former President Donald J. Trump.
Needless to say, the myriad of changes to the platform and its potential financial failure has shaken its user base. Out of political outrage, various public figures and organizations have announced their departures, from Shonda Rhymes and Sara Bareilles, to Balenciaga and General Motors. Additionally, the site’s casual users have begun to tweet as if it would be their last, as reported by Emma Bubola with the New York Times. “Users took to the platform to announce coming books and papers; say their goodbyes, and thank friends and followers; or ask for donations to charities and campaigns. Some tried a last-ditch effort at a joke that had previously fallen flat, or asked followers to confess their crushes. Some described the atmosphere like the last days of senior high schools. Others used similar metaphors.”
Attention has turned primarily to Mastodon as a new alternative, a site offering “free and open-sourced” social media — meaning there is no centralized platform and instead, users must sign up through a server that will host its account. The platform, initially built in 2016 as a viable alternative to Twitter, has gone from three hundred thousand monthly active users to nearly two million. Users would benefit from the same system as Twitter: the open circulation of posts, videos, polls, and pictures, the ability to like and reshare posts, and curate followers. However, the site lacks any sort of algorithm boosting or visualization of trends, due to its decentralized nature.
For many, however, Twitter has been a lifeline — and are not so quick to celebrate its hypothetical death. Political campaigns, social justice movements, and mutual aid funds have been significant components of the platform’s activity. It has repeatedly been a voice for the otherwise voiceless, from the 2011 Egyptian revolution, to most recently the use by Sri Lankans for essential supplies. Furthermore, many disabled individuals have expressed the importance of the site, saying that they have found community and access to the outside world through it. If these components of Twitter remain salvageable under Musk, there may be a good reason to stick around.
Additionally, Twitter’s reputation as a “global town square” is unmatched, and one of its most avid users — journalists — are hard-pressed to find another site that matches the fast-paced interactions needed for sharing and breaking news, as well as capturing public attention. The site was crucial for many in staying up to date on elections and other political events, and the direct contact users have with politicians, governmental organizations, and other institutions are unlike any other. In all likelihood, this draw is the main reason Twitter won’t die — and perhaps that is a good thing.
Musk’s ideas and the company’s internal struggles have had little output on the site as of yet, and the daily experience of being a user on the site has not fundamentally changed. The only thing that is certain is the spirit of Twitter is not the same as it once was. The real question is will a tangible transformation emerge from this shift? Or will Musk realize that keeping Twitter essentially the same — as a platform for all groups of people to find community and communication — is in his best interest?
Edited by Liz Bredt
Justine Delangle is in her first year at McGill University, pursuing a B.A. in International Development Studies. She is a first time staff writer for Catalyst, with an interest in the politics of cultural power.