Recent data from Pew Research reveals the impact of Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter on the platform. A majority of Twitter users in the US have opted to take breaks from the platform over the past year, while even the most active users are now posting fewer tweets compared to their previous frequency. This highlights the notable changes that have occurred since Elon Musk's takeover.
Pew Research's report, which surveyed 10,701 Twitter users, reveals that six-in-ten Americans who used Twitter in the past year took breaks from the platform for several weeks or longer. Additionally, in a separate study focused on 1,002 of Twitter's most active users, Pew observed a significant decrease in posting activity following Elon Musk's acquisition. The average number of tweets per month for these users declined by approximately 25% after the acquisition, as noted by Pew.
Together, these numbers indicate that, at least among formerly engaged users, Twitter engagement has decreased since Musk's takeover. This is especially noteworthy given that, as Pew points out, the great majority of Twitter users are lurkers rather than posters. 2% of Twitter users are responsible for 98% of all tweets.
Despite the changes on Twitter after Elon Musk's takeover, it appears that a substantial number of the platform's most active users have not completely abandoned it. Pew Research indicates that only 25 percent of these highly active users expressed low likelihood or no intention to be on Twitter a year from now. This suggests that a majority of the highly engaged users are still committed to using the platform despite the shifts that have taken place.
Pew Research did not survey Twitter users to determine the specific reasons for their reduced engagement or assess whether Elon Musk's actions directly influenced the shift. The data also does not account for the number of new users who may have joined Twitter during the same period. Nevertheless, these new findings provide valuable insight into the increasing number of Twitter users who have scaled back their activity on the platform, potentially exploring alternative platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky since Musk's takeover.
Notably, Pew's findings also indicate that Elon Musk has become an increasingly prominent figure on Twitter in the past year. Prior to his announcement of acquiring the platform, adult Twitter users in the United States mentioned Musk in a tweet, on average, only once between January 1 and April 13, 2022.
However, references to Musk have significantly multiplied on the site since then. During the period from April 14 to October 26, 2022, while Musk was in the process of acquiring the platform, users tweeted about him an average of three times. Following the finalization of the sale, in the subsequent months, users tweeted about Musk an average of six times. This suggests a notable surge in discussions and mentions of Musk on Twitter following his involvement with the platform.
The claims coincide with Musk's appointment of Linda Yaccarino, a former NBCU executive, as his new CEO. Yaccarino, who is set to begin in the coming weeks, is anticipated to use her experience in the advertising sector to try to woo back advertisers after many of them left as a result of controversial policy changes made by Musk. Uncertainty exists regarding her chances of regaining the coveted "highly active tweeters," though. Musk is expected to continue to be Twitter's most important — and divisive — user for the foreseeable future as long as he serves as CTO and executive chairman.