The slow demise of Twitter has left a “void” that might harm academics’ ability to organise, call out bad practice and gain influence beyond their fields, experts have warned.
Although little comparative data exists for how academics’ use of Twitter – now called X – has declined, many say it is no longer fulfilling the functions it performed for the scholarly community for more than a decade.
Academics have objected to changes in the site’s algorithm that have seen their posts gain less traction, the rolling back of hate speech protections and the proliferation of junk posts and accounts since the takeover by Elon Musk in October 2022.
Kit Yates, a senior lecturer in mathematical sciences at the University of Bath, who gained a large following on Twitter for his work during the Covid pandemic, said the advantages of using it – reaching a large audience with control over the timeframe and voice – were being eroded.
