Title: Stuck in the Past: Why I’m Still Using a Crumbling Twitter Despite Hating Elon Musk
In a recent tweet, I was reminded of a sentiment expressed by former President Donald Trump: "This thing sucks and of course I’m going to keep doing it." This humorous quip resonated with me as I reflected on my experience with Elon Musk’s revamped Twitter, affectionately referred to as X. Yes, X is awful. It has degraded in countless ways, actively promotes unwanted accounts, and has lost many of its most loyal users. Yet, despite the numerous reasons to leave, I find myself struggling to abandon ship.
Previously, I wrote that the best alternative to Twitter was to log off altogether. In that piece, I emphasized that Twitter’s declining fun factor, worse usability, and lack of credible alternatives made it an ideal time to take a step back. However, my experience has been different. The familiarity and muscle memory associated with Twitter make it challenging for me to bid farewell.
Many have left X, including some notable frequent posters. Screenwriter Brian Koppelman, songwriter Jason Isbell, and sitcom guru/baseball guy/Mose fromThe Office Mike Schur, to name a few, have all departed. Mashable’s reporting confirms a significant drop in daily active users since Musk took over. Despite this, I’ve found myself clinging to the decaying remnants of Twitter.
The reasons to leave X are clear: a plethora of unwanted ads, promoted posts by scammers, and an abundance of verified bots flood the platform. Musk’s own behavior, actively remaking X in his rightwing image, is equally repulsive. He bans those he dislikes while reinstating accounts that were previously banned for misinformation, abuse, or worse, all under the guise of "free speech." I should leave X, it’s the right thing to do and a healthy choice. And, from a practical perspective, the site sucks. Yet, I’m lazy, and I love posting.
My formative social media years centered on Twitter and text-based jokes, making it difficult for me to give up the habits I’ve developed. Even with the site’s degrading quality, I still find myself drawn to it. The muscle memory remains, and I know exactly how to navigate X. I’ve curated my follower list and following, even if my engagement has decreased due to not paying the $8 monthly fee. If it weren’t for the inertia of Twitter’s past existence, X would likely be nothing more than a failed experiment like Truth Social.
A recent tweet by @pankendev inspired me to share my thoughts: "If you hate Elon so much then why are you still here? BECAUSE I WAS HERE FIRST. WHY SHOULD I LEAVE. HE’S THE ONE WHO SUCKS." In a way, they’re right. Sure, Musk is terrible, but it doesn’t mean I should abandon X altogether.
While X is a sinking ship, I’ve struggled to find a lifeline to cling to. The lack of credible alternatives to Twitter has made it challenging for me to sever my ties. For now, I’ll continue to log onto X, even as I acknowledge its numerous shortcomings. At least until I can log off for good.
