Unrest continued at Twitter headquarters as employees left the company in unison.
David Odisho/Getty photo
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David Odisho/Getty photo
Unrest continued at Twitter headquarters as employees left the company in unison.
David Odisho/Getty photo
For more than a decade, Twitter has become a sort of digital town square where people seek information, advocacy, community, and job opportunities — even love.
After Elon Musk took over as CEO of Twitter, thousands of employees were laid off quickly followed by a wave of layoffs that made many people worry about the future of the platform. Several former employees took to Twitter to post emotional goodbyes.
And just like that, after 12 years, I left Twitter. I have nothing but love for all my fellow tweeps, past and present. A thousand faces and a thousand scenes are running through my mind right now – I love you Twitter and I will forever bleed blue
– Satanjeev Banerjee (@satanjeev) November 17, 2022
Many users followed suit, tweeting short tributes to the platform. For some, like writer Dan Sheehan, having a Twitter background has subsequently allowed them to excel in their personal and professional lives.
Twitter feels like you’re stuck in a hive and so I understand that saying “I’ll miss the bees” might cause some confusion but I’m 100% sure I’ll miss the bees
– Dan Sheehan (@ItsDanSheehan) November 18, 2022
Twitter has been the incubator for Sheehan’s comedy and writing since high school, even before he realized what it could become.
“I built this following for myself and that helped me land some of my first job offers in copywriting only. That’s how I paid the bills for a while. very long time,” he said.
Through copywriting, Sheehan was able to take the time to write his novel, a project that became a reality in part by crowdfunding through his massive Twitter following. that.
“The fact that I can keep lighting the lights, pay the bills while I write the book, and then the book reach those 100,000+ readers directly, none of that can be done,” he said. through traditional means”. .
Sheehan credits Twitter’s more level playing field for the emergence of new voices in different creative fields.
“It basically allows a lot of people to be in spaces that they’re not supposed to be in other places,” Sheehan said.
“For the longest time, the creative fields have been cornered by the rich or the children of the rich…Twitter allows you to build an audience that you can’t deny your audience. with those who hold the keys of that field.”
Twitter also helped Azucena Rasilla, an art and community reporter, Oaklandsideto get a background and open doors to journalism outside of traditional avenues.
“I didn’t come from an Ivy League school or a journalism school, so I had to find my own path,” she said.
“For brown-skinned reporters, there aren’t many ways for us to get our names out there and be hunted by the publications.” Early in her career, Rasilla posted her work on Twitter, mostly music reviews, and eventually got the job of writing those reviews for a local television station. Since then, her audience has grown and she continues to receive job offers, which has led her to the job she is today. Rasilla worries that future journalists will not have the same opportunity.
“Unfortunately the issue of diversity continues, and I don’t know how now, those communities will find each other… Twitter is a way to see it right there and start following. Follow people and start reading other people’s work,” she said.
For others, Twitter’s reach goes beyond career growth – it’s a tool for being active and finding community.
if twitter is really done i just want to say thank you all so much for helping me deliver over 12,000 n95 masks to people in need this year. you all REALLY & in a very direct way helped save lives.
– Muse Wendi (@MuseWendi) November 18, 2022
Wendi Muse, a doctoral candidate with multiple sclerosis, has been an active member of ‘Twitter for People with Disabilities’ for many years. She has dedicated her pandemic posting resources to helping people buy masks, as well as sending some from the personal stockpile she has amassed. Earlier this year, she noticed greater demand for reliable N95 masks in the immunocompromised community.
“I’m just saying, let me start fundraising and do this in a more serious, dedicated and organized way.”
Soon after, she started donating and giving away free N95 masks to her followers. The answer is immediate.
“In total, there will be more than 12,000 masks that I have sent myself, literally, from my living room since January of this year,” Muse said. She doesn’t think she could reach as many people without her reach on Twitter.
“That’s important because it’s a way not only to learn more about the pandemic, myself and my family, but also to reach out to people who are less fortunate and may not have information or not have access [to these resources].”
For Muse and many others, the potential end of Twitter would be a huge loss, even if alternative sites like Discord or Mastodon have seen a large influx of new users recently.
“I know we’re trying to figure out what’s going to be the next best thing. But right now, we don’t know what that is,” she said.
“I think the anxiety of not knowing is making it more difficult, especially for people with disabilities, the elderly, who may not have social networks in person right now.”
While Twitter hasn’t completely collapsed yet, people have turned to other social media platforms, making Twitter’s town square a little less crowded than it used to be.
