Leaving Twitter/X

This is just a short post to inform people that I have deactivated my Twitter accounts. I wanted to let those who used Twitter to either keep up to date with my research or contact me directly know about this change, so they won’t be confused if they try to find my accounts or send me a message and find that they are no longer active. If anyone still wants to reach out to me or stay updated on what I’m doing, they can always email me, send me a text or WhatsApp message, or subscribe to updates from this website.

I’ve been wanting to reduce my usage of Twitter for a while now, and after seeing the response to the recent high-profile events in the town, I finally decided to disconnect.

I’ve been using the platform in some capacity since around 2008, so this was not an easy decision. For a long time, Twitter was my go-to for breaking news, and it was helpful during my book launch as it allowed me to connect and share my ideas with media and academics from around the world. However, in recent years, and especially since the service was renamed to X following Elon Musk’s acquisition, I have noticed that it has become an increasingly hostile environment. It has turned into a breeding ground for conspiracy theorists, racists, grifters, and anyone who pays to be “verified”.

Recent events have demonstrated not only how the platform can be used to incite hatred and promote disorder, but also that the company’s current leadership has no interest in addressing these issues. Despite reporting numerous offensive tweets using Twitter’s reporting tool, the moderation team has consistently shown their inability or unwillingness to address hate speech in its various forms.

Perhaps in a few weeks or months, I may find myself crawling back to the platform with my pride slightly wounded. Either way, the current state of affairs on Twitter is simply unbearable so my hope is that by stepping away, I will have more time to engage with “real” news and books, and will regain a more positive outlook.

DH