Should I leave Twitter? (again)

When the new owner took over Twitter, a lot of people left. I wasn’t one of them. I thought about it, and then I just opened lots of other social media accounts. You can find me on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Facebook and LinkedIn most days. It’s nearly a full time job. 

For a long time, people on those other platforms have been making judgemental noises about those of us who are still on Twitter. 

I’m not a believer in hot takes, but for a lot of people the latest development in the spread of fascism appears to be the last straw. I'm not one for a performative flounce, either, so I’m still thinking about it. But I think the point at which I leave is getting closer.

And I’ve seen a lot of people saying the same today. But people don’t want to go, and don’t know where to go.

But if we do go, then what happens? We leave Twitter to the fascists? Allow it to become another Telegram?

Does it make any difference that anti-fascists are on Twitter too? We are in our bubble and they are in theirs. (And I really don’t want to see what theirs looks like.)

I have a friend who, years ago (before the current owner), got banned from Twitter for arguing with racists. You can’t even do that these days, because you could be arguing with a bot. And you can’t report hate speech any more because Twitter doesn’t care.

On the other hand, Twitter still works as an information source. I can follow accounts like @reformexposed, @hopenothate, and @NEON_UK. Not to mention @Feargal_Sharkey keeping me up to date with Thames Water. And all the other useful stuff I’m interested in. I’m not a fan of the pejorative use of “mainstream media” (I believe in professional journalism, and public sector broadcasting) but it’s useful to get a wider, sometimes specialist, perspective too.

And if there are questions about Twitter, are there questions about other platforms too? Ethical consumerism and social media don’t really go together, wherever you go. Maybe the owners of the other social media companies are a bit cleaner but there will always be something unethical going on, because that’s how capitalism works.

There are other reasons for leaving too. I had to lock down my @olderthanelvis account because it got found by p*rnbots. Every day there is a list of “follower requests” from dubious accounts. And the algorithm is working against me. I post something these days without knowing whether anyone will actually see it.  But that’s my safe space: the account where I am off-duty and can say random, off the cuff things to people who I know will get it. I would miss that. 

I have another account under my real name and that seems to be working better so far, but it’s for a different type of post. I have a freelance business to run and a book to promote, and I’m more careful about what I say. But I don’t want to be in “personal brand” mode all the time. (And the same question about fascism remains.)

I was hoping by now that one of the alternative platforms might emerge as the leader, somewhere with enough critical mass for it to work as well as Twitter used to. That hasn’t happened yet. And if it turns out to be Threads, then we’re all in hock to Meta anyway. (I tried Post. Too empty. I thought about Mastodon. Too complicated. Substack Notes is quite fun, but it’s all about Substack.)

Or maybe the Twitter owner will get bored and give up. I expected it to happen quickly; it hasn’t. Maybe it will happen after the US elections? Or maybe not.

So what am I going to do? I blogged about this last year and I still don’t know.

But if I can find enough friends elsewhere, maybe I will leave. Here are my links – please let me know yours.