After the recent U.S. presidential election, social media users are making headlines for their decisions to leave X, previously known as Twitter. The wave of departures from the platform began shortly after Donald Trump’s election win, prompting many ex-users to express their dissatisfaction with X’s direction under Elon Musk's leadership. Users cite the allegedly toxic atmosphere on the platform and Musk's overt support for Trump as reasons for their exit.
Among those departing is Jody Avrigan, who boasts 50,000 followers on X, and has turned to Threads, the social media service owned by Meta. Avrigan believes Musk embodies "a pretty destructive force" and stated he wants no part of it. Similarly, high-profile personalities like MSNBC anchor Nicole Wallace, who has over one million followers on X, publicly announced her departure from the platform for personal reasons. She described her action as one of self-preservation.
Other well-known figures, including author Stephen King, have also voiced their dissatisfaction, with King sharing with his seven million followers on X, "Tried to stay, but the atmosphere has just become too toxic." The fallout from these exits marks what some see as the beginning of the end for the once-dominant platform.
Since Musk’s acquisition of X, the platform has witnessed significant user attrition. The company continued to experience declines, with data indicating it had about 162 million daily active users on election day—down from 250 million reported last year. Shockingly, by the day after the election, the user count had decreased to 157 million.
Research reveals Musk's management style has led to decreasing user numbers, with Sensor Tower indicating the company has lost about 14% of its monthly users under Musk's ownership. The recent surge of "goodbye messages" during the election reflects growing discontent with the platform's current atmosphere, leading many to abandon ship.
Musk’s changes to X, which he claimed were aimed at prioritizing free speech, have raised eyebrows. After acquiring the platform, he dismantled its content moderation team, reinstated previously banned incendiary personalities, and shifted the algorithm to favor controversial posts. This strategy, including Musk's close alignment with Trump and his campaign efforts, has alienated many users.
"People have been leaving for months and months," noted Jonathan Bellack, director of the Applied Social Media Lab at Harvard. He stated, "Now, I wonder if people are choosing to leave because of their beliefs or because the experience on the platform has gotten worse."
The growing emigration from X coincides with the emergence of alternative platforms like Threads and Bluesky, founded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Both of these platforms have been experiencing substantial growth, signing up millions of new users. Bluesky recently attracted nearly one million new users, swelling its user base to nearly 15 million. Meanwhile, Threads has experienced explosive growth, reporting 275 million monthly active users as of October.
The shift away from X could signify the fragmentation of social media, where instead of rallies around singular platforms, users are diversifying their presence across multiple networks. The recent surge of users on Threads following the elections, demonstrating 394% growth year-over-year, showcases this trend. August and September saw Threads gaining traction, with Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, reporting it added over 15 million users just this month.
Some believe the decline of X was likely exacerbated by the longstanding disdain many have for the platform as its atmosphere deteriorated. Users, once devoted to the site, have taken to sharing their shock at losing followers, with reports of significant follower drop-offs among high-profile users. Notably, political commentators like Aaron Rupar noted they lost 10,000 followers, questioning whether the losses stemmed from bot activity or genuine user disengagement.
Despite speculation surrounding follower losses, there’s no concrete evidence linking them to anything other than user migration. The recent exodus from X has not only sparked conversations about its decline but also the associated growth of rival platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, all of which continue to gain users steadily.
The trending exit from X is evident not only through anecdotal evidence but also through quantitative data. On November 6th, the day following the election, research from SimilarWeb reported over 115,000 accounts were deactivated the morning after results were made public, with Google searches spiking 150% for the phrase “Delete X.” The Guardian recently announced it would stop using all 80 of its official accounts, which collectively span 27 million followers, citing increasing hostile content shared on X as their reason.
Industry experts suggest the movement from X to alternative platforms is not merely personal choice but reflects broader sentiment concerning content moderation and community atmosphere on electronic podiums under scrutiny. For many, platforms like Bluesky and Threads offer more appealing alternatives than X, which has pivoted dangerously toward extreme discourse and controversial figures.
A key takeaway is the apparent need for diverse platforms where individuals feel their interests, views, and safety are respected. The social media space may now see less dominance from any one platform, with users shifting to environments they perceive as healthier hubs for conversation.
While the shift might signal the end of X’s reign as the central social media hub, it highlights user agency and the power of collective dissatisfaction to generate change, forcing platforms to respond to user needs more proactively.
Overall, the recent developments are leaving many to wonder if traditional social media landscapes will remain, or if new discussions will emerge on platforms brought forth from the ashes of discontent. The rise of Threads, Bluesky, and other alternatives reflects user dissatisfaction on X, making it clear they are demanding something different: not just another social platform but one aligned with their values.
What lies ahead for social media amid this fragmentation will define the next chapter of digital interaction, one where user preferences will shape the direction and functionality of these rapidly growing platforms.
