I’m taking a break from Twitter / X for a while, perhaps permanently.

I’ve become increasingly concerned by the role the platform is playing in the polarisation of society, the damage it is engendering in the relationships between some people holding different beliefs, and the negative impact it may be having on the mental health and well-being of (especially but not only) some young people.

I was particularly shocked by the way X was used to spread mis- and dis-information during the recent riots in the UK and appalled by the behaviour of its owner in further fanning those flames.  Unacceptable.

I used to enjoy Twitter as a place to get the latest news first on a wide range of topics, with the dialogue often driven by some of the wittiest minds.  These days, it’s mostly an abysmal experience. 

I believe the company needs to develop and deploy robust procedures around mis- and dis-information not only to maintain its licence to operate but also to re-build trust with readers and advertisers. It’s a societal issue and commercially imperative to X itself. 

In the meantime, you can still find me on LinkedIn for education & edtech and Instagram for cycling (or even better: in a school or on the road!). As an end-user, it seems to me that both Microsoft and Meta are currently doing a better job than X in acting responsibly to maintain public trust.