To judge people who still use Twitter/X?

[CircusofPuffins]

Okay, so if your job involves having to use Twitter/X regularly, I get it. But I generally don't understand why so many people still use that platform?

It's very well known what an utterly toxic cesspool it has become under Musk's ownership, being virtually unrecognisable now from the site's heyday in the early 2010s. And there have been repeated stories about this stupid Grok AI thing being generally awful too - today in the news: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwye62e1ndjo

Only a few weeks ago, there was the story about the same thing spewing out anti-semitic bile uncontrolled. That's before we even cover all the disinformation being spread on there, often by Musk himself!

Full disclosure, I deleted my account after Musk's Hitler salutes earlier this year, and now when I hear of someone I know who still uses the site, I can't help but judge them for it. I think either they're tacitly supporting Musk, or care more about their number of followers to have no qualms about still being on such an awful, vile platform.

AIBU?

Don't be daft ES, the left don't do toxic. Plenty of intolerant and regimented posts, mind.

Wow - that's a leap from X to MN literally.

Threads and Bluesky can be pretty bad too, generally your social media is what you make it - if you look at shit, it will feed you more of the same.
Although X ditched me and I can't be bothered with Bluesky or Threads these days.

The fact that the OP used the arrogant term "judge". So freedom of speech goes out the window, when it doesn't sit with her own opinions. George Orwell and 1984 called.

In some countries it’s the only way people can access non-governmental sources of information. That was me for many years.
I don’t look at if someone refuses to use a certain social media site or boycotts certain companies or continually shared images of starved children as markers of how ethical or unethical they are - I look at how they act and behave in a multitude of ways. Because people are complex.

the amout of omg on tv these days (should we switch it off ? ) same principle's etc

I closed my account and lost 2,000 followers accumulated over many years. It was an ethical decision but I don’t judge anyone else. You have to be in it, if you’re to have any influence and attempt to tackle the toxic narratives after all.

Haha I see. It was bad.

Judge away. Not sure anyone gives a shit

It is true.

I don't go on there much and I don't post at all, but every so often Farage or Yaxley-Lennon or some other odious person ( whether on the left or right, but it is most often on the right) will post something. A while later a thread or a post will appear on MN regurgitating it.

I spotted an example the other day.

I am not saying it happens all the time, but there is definitely a cross over now and again. It is not really surprising.

My source is ‘live tv’.

Do your own googling.

👏 👏

You can have whatever opinion you like, OP.
I wistfully wish Musk never took over but am hanging on with occasionally browsing X. It used to be my favourite, funny & topical.
The first 10 posts on my X feed today...

1Coral gambling ad ( stupid, I don't gamble)
2.something supposed to be funny but I don't get it, humour account I don't remember following, must have made me laugh sometime
3.CyclingNews (Langellotti...)
4.Very cute snowy puppy
5.Science news : exercise & brain health
6.ad for investment (I won't)
7.Henry Winkler about a dog he loves
8.Al Jazeera some commentary about Gaza :-(
9.cycling news Brandon McNulty
10.Another very cute puppy

I don't perceive any anti-semitic, toxic cesspit, feminist or bile in any of that. I may have managed to curate most of the content away that I don't like (ads are impossible to avoid, though). I wish it was as easy to curate away the MN content that annoys me. MN is the only social media I go on that routinely annoys me.

I no longer post on X, using BlueSky instead, but I've kept my account. Until all the utility and train companies etc use it, I need an X account to raise queries or check info. Once tweeted with Thames Water until 1am to sort a water issue; they were online and sent someone round.

Everyone knows that a massive proportion of Twitter users are fake accounts or bots of some kind. How would CNN have the data to make such an "admission"?

Yes, you are BU. Next question?

You said it was YouTube.

All forms of Social Media are plumbing the cesspool to some degree; Facebook is vile, Twitter is toxic, Instagram has alway seemed to me to cater to narcissists, TikTok is vapid, etc etc

I do feel we were far better off without them, but they’re not going away any time soon. I mean, look at me - here I go typing away on MumsNet, I’m not sure that makes me any better than those whose addiction to likes and followers seems to have got the better of their real existence and offline personas.

we’re pretty much all doomed, probably 😩

I stopped using it in January as it was making me feel despondent for the world every time I used it. It’s a shame as it was a great snappy way to engage with people but not any more.

Judge away. I'm not sure why I should care what you think.

I could have written this myself! Perfectly put.

You are not wrong!

Yes.

I found Twitter a lifesaver during the pandemic (I'm single), and still use it. The people I follow and who follow me back are great. (Nobody has ridiculous numbers of followers, which may help.)

I recommended it to a younger friend recently and she spent time telling me how toxic it was. I couldn't work out why. Then it became clear what she was doing: she WAS CLICKING ON THE TRENDING SUGGESTIONS on the RHS!!! Don't do this. Find your tribe. Use hashtags. Be selective. Curate your feed. Enjoy. 😀

You need to be more tolerant. People exist who hold different views to you. There is life beyond BlueSky (lol). Get over it.

I used to use it for work. But this is the advantage of being self-employed, I closed my account and went to BlueSky and Insta instead.