Criticism of X (social network)

A new study suggests that scientists are leaving X (formerly known as Twitter) in significant numbers due to its declining professional value. Many now find Bluesky to be a more effective platform for networking, outreach, and staying updated on research.

36K votes, 1.1K comments. 34M subscribers in the science community. This community is a place to share and discuss new scientific research. Read…

Shifts in U.S. Social Media Use, 2020–2024: Decline, Fragmentation, and Enduring Polarization

The social media ecosystem appears to be in flux. Twitter’s rebranding to X has come to symbolize a broader reorganization of online publics – political reshuffling, user attrition, and uncertainty over the role of legacy platforms. Simultaneously, the shift from text-based, networked feeds toward algorithmically curated, short-form video has accelerated, with TikTok setting the pace for the wider ecosystem [18, 14, 16]. At the same time, everyday communication increasingly migrates from large, open networks to semi-private spaces such as group chats and messaging apps. Commentators describe a digital public sphere in transition: smaller, more fragmented, less dominated by traditional social networking sites, and rise of more broadcast-oriented forms of media – with some even suggesting that we are seeing the beginning of the end of the social media era.

My 2024 thoughts on the state of social media

I see a continued fragmentation of social media as people leave X(Twitter).

The Weird, Fragmented World of Social Media After Twitter

The common forum that Elon Musk destroyed will never be replaced—and that’s okay.

Study: Social media probably can’t be fixed

The [structural] mechanism producing these problematic outcomes is really robust and hard to resolve."

Shifts in U.S. Social Media Use, 2020–2024: Decline, Fragmentation, and Enduring Polarization

Using nationally representative data from the 2020 and 2024 American National Election Studies (ANES), this paper describes how U.S. social media use has shifted across platforms, demographics, and politics. Overall platform reach declined, driven by growth in the share of Americans — especially the youngest and oldest cohorts — who report using no social media. Visiting and posting activity on Twitter/X and Facebook have fallen by nearly 50% since 2020, with the decline on Twitter/X driven primarily by reduced participation among Democratic users. While Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter/X lost ground, TikTok and Reddit grew modestly, consistent with a more fragmented digital public sphere. Platform audiences aged and became slightly more educated and racially diverse. Politically, most platforms shifted toward Republican users while remaining, on balance, Democratic-leaning. Twitter/X experienced the largest change: among posters, the partisan balance swung over 70 percentage points from Democrats to Republicans. Across platforms, political posting remains closely tied to affective polarization, as the most partisan respondents are also the most active. As casual users disengage while polarized partisans remain vocal, online discourse becomes narrower and more ideologically extreme.

They Criticized Musk on X. Then Their Reach Collapsed. (Published 2025)

Three users who disagreed with the site’s owner saw views for their posts plummet.

Xodus

...Building a movement away from toxic social media platforms, towards alternative open social media...

X Kills Nitter And Xcancel, The Last Ways To Read Tweets Without Elon Watching

When Twitter launched, it was originally designed to be just like an open protocol. In the early days, the company eagerly supported third party development, building on that protocol. But, because…

A few weeks of X’s algorithm can make you more right-wing – and it doesn’t wear off quickly

Elon Musk’s social media platform is boosting conservative content – and it’s having long-lasting effects on how users see the world.

A few weeks of X’s algorithm can make you more right-wing – and it doesn’t wear off quickly

Elon Musk’s social media platform is boosting conservative content – and it’s having long-lasting effects on how users see the world.

Social media, extremism, and radicalization

Fears that YouTube recommendations radicalize users are overblown, but social media still host and profit from dubious and extremist content.

Unveiling the waves of mis- and disinformation from social media

In the digital era, social media platforms have become the focal point for public discourse, with a significant impact on shaping societal narratives. However, they are also rife with mis- and disinformation, which can rapidly disseminate and influence public opinion. This paper investigates the propagation of mis- and disinformation on X, a social media platform formerly known as Twitter. We employ a multidimensional analytical approach, integrating sentiment analysis, wavelet analysis, and network analysis to discern the patterns and intensity of misleading information waves. Sentiment analysis elucidates the emotional tone and subjective context within which information is framed. Wavelet analysis reveals the temporal dynamics and persistence of disinformation trends over time. Network analysis maps the intricate web of information flow, identifying key nodes and vectors of virality. The results offer a granular understanding of how false narratives are constructed and sustained within the digital ecosystem. This study contributes to the broader field of digital media literacy by highlighting the urgent need for robust analytical tools to navigate and neutralize the infodemic in the age of social media.

Custodians of the Internet

A revealing and gripping investigation into how social media platforms police what we post online—and the large societal impact of these decisions Most use...

Facebook Said to Create Censorship Tool to Get Back Into China (Published 2016)

The social network, blocked in China since 2009, has developed software to keep posts from appearing in users’ news feeds in specific geographic areas, current and former employees said.