Twitter: Is it a thing of the past, or will Elon Musk breathe new life into it?

On April 25, Elon Musk announced his intent to buy Twitter, which has critics on both sides flapping their wings. Twitter is a social media platform where people can express their thoughts and opinions on various interests. Some fear that his acquisition will stifle users’ freedom of speech, while others believe that it will open the doors to more diverse communication. However, not many are talking about a very critical piece of this puzzle: how the next generation of users even feels about this particular platform.

Sophomore Kiara Hashberger explains her views. “I don’t really use Twitter at all, so I really don’t know if it’s relevant anymore. I don’t really like using it,” she goes on to say. “It’s kind of out of date with some things.”

In today’s world of social media, many apps compete for the opportunity to become popular with the next generation; however, Twitter has recently become the topic of some controversy, specifically whether Elon Musk should have even purchased Twitter. Musk made an offer of $43 billion,which was eventually accepted. 

However, the question teens are asking is this: “Did Musk buy the wrong social platform?” Younger users are debating Twitter’s relevance among the vast sea of available platforms. Hashberger shares her thoughts on that, as well. “I mostly use Instagram because it’s an easier platform, in my opinion, to use.”

Many people may share that opinion, but until Musk makes any changes, it will be hard to tell if easier is always better. Sites like Instagram, Tik Tok, and Snapchat have filters people can use to improve looks and play around with different types of music. This allows the population to share common interests about many topics visually, while Twitter is mainly about expressing opinions verbally.

So, will Twitter make a comeback? That has yet to be determined–but never rule anything out, especially with Musk’s technologically innovative thinking. However, as Hashberger notes, maybe it’s just better if it’s “easier to use.”