Twitter’s problem is not that it is boring, but rather the constant El Musk-related scandals.

Insider



Twitter is dull without any play. May 2, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
It seems like the only thing people talk about on Twitter is Elon Musk.

Twitter has a problem that is more pernicious than the controversies that continue to generate headlines: It’s becoming dull.

Every week has seen a new scandal since Elon Musk bought the company in October. Massive swathes were brutally dismissed from the company’s workforce. Musk’s efforts to crack down on fake accounts. A resounding exodus of advertisers over “brand safety.” Disputable claims regarding the site’s policing child abuse imagery. Recent events include the ban of several prominent critical journalists.

All of these are important issues that deserve public attention. However, the constant stream of Twitter-focused news is becoming tiresome for everyday users.

Twitter has always had a wild spirit, elevating current affairs as well as absurd micro-scandals in equal measure — a mix of comedy and seriousness that has captured the attention of hundreds of millions.

Twitter’s frenetic focus on the topic and its long attention span is summed up in a simple maxim: “Every day there is one main character.” It is impossible to be it. As many people have pointed out, Twitter currently only has one main character, Elon Musk.

Day after day, the 51-year-old Tesla CEO remains firmly at the center of the platform’s discourse. It was at first a rousing tale: A billionaire fighting for the company he had spent billions of dollars on. It’s becoming boring. It’s not appealing to anyone to visit a theater that shows only films about the owner.

Some users have found the acquisition a boon. Some Twitter users have taken to railing against Musk, having built their brand around the #Resistance against Donald Trump’s Administration. Musk’s general amnesty has allowed once-banned far-right accounts, such as “Baked Alaska”, to resume their work. However, a 24/7 online deathmatch between righteous culture-warriors slugging each others for internet points is not fun for anyone.

Twitter is unlikely to collapse before the end, despite dire warnings about its tech stack that has been teetering since the massive layoffs. It faces long-term problems. Musk must pay billions in debt payments over the next few years, even though the company’s advertising revenue is falling rapidly. Twitter Blue, the company’s incipient subscription service has yet to make a difference.

Musk-run Twitter will undoubtedly need to increase its overall Twitter user base significantly. It is at risk of losing the core reason that made Twitter so popular in the first place.

Last week, there was anger over Musk’s comments that Yoel Roth, Twitter’s extrust and safety chief, condoned child sex. After Twitter suspended a group of prominent journalists who covered him regularly, this week’s debate is about “doxing” or freedom of press. Who knows what the next week will bring?

Although the songs might change, the underlying theme is the same, the ride never gets boring.

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Business Insider has the original article.
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By: rprice@insider.com (Rob Price)
Title: Twitter’s real problem is that the constant string of Elon Musk scandals is making it boring
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-constant-scandals-are-making-twitter-boring-2022-12
Published Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:46:38 +0000