Questions & Answers

Which are the advantages of X?                                                                            Using it provides advantages like: quick access to real-time news and information, the ability to connect with a large audience rapidly, effective customer service through direct interaction, powerful hashtag usage to categorize topics, easy sharing of ideas and opinions, building brand awareness, networking with other businesses and influencers, and driving traffic to your website through shared links; all while being a relatively user-friendly platform. 

Key advantages of Twitter:

Real-time updates:

Stay current on breaking news and trending topics by following relevant accounts and news sources. 

Large reach:

Utilize hashtags to quickly reach a vast audience interested in specific topics or discussions. 

Customer engagement:

Directly interact with customers, address concerns, and receive feedback in real-time. 

Brand building:

Promote your brand and establish a voice by sharing engaging content and interacting with followers. 

Community building:

Connect with people who share your interests and build a community around your brand. 

Influencer access:

Interact with and learn from prominent figures in your industry. 

Content promotion:

Share links to your blog posts, articles, or website to drive traffic. 

Easy to use interface:

Simple platform with straightforward features to post tweets and engage with others. 

Cost-effective marketing:

Utilize Twitter's advertising features to reach a large audience at a relatively low cost. 

Employee advocacy:

Encourage employees to share company news and updates on their personal Twitter accounts, boosting brand visibility.

 Which are the disadvantages of X?

It has several disadvantages, including the spread of misinformation, character limits, and algorithm changes. 

Misinformation 

• Fake news, propaganda, and unverified data can spread through viral posts and messages.               

 Character limit

• The 280-character limit can make it difficult to communicate effectively, especially with those less experienced in using the web. 
  
• It can also lead to oversimplification, making it difficult to convey complex messages. 
  

Algorithm changes 

• Businesses have no control over the algorithm, which can change overnight and determine visibility and engagement levels.

• Posts could be missed if they are not posted at the right time, when followers are online.

• Changing the name and logo of the platform could confuse or upset users and partners who are attached to the Twitter brand.

Is X truthful?

Previous research has shown that most of the messages posted on X are truthful, but the service is also used to spread misinformation and false rumors, often unintentionally.

How has the new leadership (Elon Musk) changed X?

This app has changed in many ways since Elon Musk bought the company in 2022, including: 

• Name: The platform was renamed X. 
  
• Content moderation: Musk loosened the platform's rules on hate speech and disinformation. 
  
• Staffing: Musk laid off or fired about 80% of the company's workforce, including many top executives. 
  
• Features: Musk renamed several features, including "Birdwatch" to "Community Notes". 
  
• Authentication: Musk changed the platform's authentication practices. 
  
• Transparency: Musk has revealed internal communications from the company's prior managers and allowed suspended accounts to return. 

How has twitter changed politics and social discussions? 

This social media app has significantly transformed politics and social discussions by reshaping how information is shared, how politicians interact with the public, and how social movements gain momentum. Here are some key ways it has influenced these areas:

1. Direct Communication Between Politicians and the Public

    •    Twitter has allowed politicians to communicate directly with citizens without relying on traditional media.

    •    This has made political messaging more immediate and unfiltered, sometimes bypassing journalists and fact-checking processes.

    •    Former U.S. President Donald Trump is a notable example, using Twitter as his primary platform for announcements, criticisms, and policy statements.

2. Faster Spread of News and Misinformation

    •    News now spreads in real-time, making Twitter a major source for breaking news and political updates.

    •    However, this speed also allows misinformation and disinformation to spread rapidly, influencing public opinion before fact-checking occurs.

    •    Political campaigns and foreign entities have used Twitter for propaganda and influence operations.

3. The Rise of Political Polarization

• The platform’s algorithm amplifies engagement, often prioritizing controversial or emotionally charged content.

• This has led to echo chambers where people see mostly opinions that align with their own, reinforcing political polarization.

• “Cancel culture” and online public shaming have become more common, affecting politicians, public figures, and ordinary users.

4. Empowering Social Movements

• Hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, and #ArabSpring have helped mobilize social and political movements, increasing global awareness and activism.

• Twitter provides a platform for marginalized voices to reach a wider audience and put pressure on governments and institutions.

Who (which people)  mostly use it?

U.S. adult Twitter users are younger and more likely to be Democrats than the general public. Most users rarely tweet, but the most prolific 10% create 80% of tweets from adult U.S. users

Can it be considered a news media?

 As social media practically become news media, their level of responsibility over the content which they distribute should increase accordingly. in which you can see a brief snapshot of the daily news, is a prime example of how Twitter is getting closer to becoming a news media. As social media practically become news media, their level of responsibility over the content which they distribute should increase according to many factors.

X was more used during the pandemic?

Last year's analysis examined the impacts of Covid-19 and the 2020 US presidential election on Twitter's growth, while earlier this  year we looked at the first month of Elon Musk's proposed ownership of the platform. In a major milestone, this year marks one full decade of Twitter's evolution in our graphs, showing how the platform has existentially changed over the past 10 years, especially how it has transformed in the years since its growth leveled off in 2013 and the lasting impact of Twitter's brief 2020 election "friction" misinformation experiment, which appears to have nearly reversed its pandemic gains, but also ushered in several new trends in how the platform is used, which have continued over the subsequent two years.