Elon Musk’s Influence on X Leads to User Exodus After Trump’s Election Win
After Donald Trump won the 2024 United States Presidential election, the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, saw a significant drop in users. Over 115,000 users in the US deactivated their accounts the day after the election, according to a report by Similarweb. This number only includes those who deactivated through the website, not the mobile app.
Many users are moving to alternative platforms like Bluesky, which has seen its user base double to 15 million in just 90 days. This shift is partly due to Elon Musk’s active support for President-elect Donald Trump on X. Musk’s changes to the platform, such as reducing moderators and allowing previously banned accounts, have also contributed to a decline in the company’s advertising business.
Prominent journalists like Charlie Warzel, Mara Gay from the New York Times, and former CNN anchor Don Lemon have left X for Bluesky. The British news publisher The Guardian also announced it would stop posting from its official accounts on X, citing concerns over Musk’s influence during the election. The Guardian stated that X has become a “toxic” platform and that its resources would be better used elsewhere.
Despite this, The Guardian’s journalists will continue to use X for news gathering, and users can still share its articles. The Guardian has over 80 accounts on X with around 27 million followers.
Doubts Revealed
Elon Musk -: Elon Musk is a famous businessman known for leading companies like Tesla and SpaceX. He is also known for his influence on social media and technology.
X -: X is the new name for the social media platform that was once called Twitter. It’s a place where people share short messages, photos, and videos.
User Exodus -: User exodus means a large number of people are leaving or stopping using something, in this case, the social media platform X.
Donald Trump -: Donald Trump is a politician who was the President of the United States from 2017 to 2021. He won the election again in 2024 in this context.
Bluesky -: Bluesky is another social media platform that people are moving to after leaving X. It is becoming more popular as more users join.
Moderators -: Moderators are people who help keep social media platforms safe and friendly by managing content and making sure users follow the rules.
The Guardian -: The Guardian is a well-known newspaper and media company that reports news from around the world. They are choosing to stop posting on X but will still use it to gather news.
