On July 1, 2023, Twitter implemented a daily limit on the number of tweets users can view, adding to a series of recent changes that have prompted millions to explore alternative microblogging platforms since Elon Musk’s takeover last year.
As Twitter evolves, platforms like Mastodon have experienced a notable influx of new users, while existing networks such as Hive Social have gained traction. New entrants like Spoutible and Spill have also emerged in the wake of the acquisition.
Bluesky, a microblogging platform supported by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, reported a significant increase in user sign-ups following Twitter’s restrictions. Additionally, Meta introduced its own microblogging service, Threads, on July 5, drawing in over 30 million users within its first day. Even platforms with a different focus, such as TikTok, are seeing growth as many perceive Twitter to be on the decline.
As an information scientist who researches online communities, I recognize this pattern from previous experiences. Social media platforms have a tendency to evolve, and many users have nostalgic memories of platforms that have come and gone. Consider MySpace, LiveJournal, Google+, and Vine, for instance.
When a social media platform declines, the communities that once flourished there may dissipate or relocate. The current instability at Twitter is leading many of its users to contemplate departure. Studies on prior migrations across social media platforms offer insight into what Twitter users might encounter should they choose to leave.
In a previous research project I led with Brianna Dym, now affiliated with the University of Maine, we tracked the migration patterns of nearly 2,000 individuals over almost two decades within the transformative fandom community. This group, comprised of fans who create art based on popular culture references, exemplifies a community that has thrived across various online platforms.
Our research focused on participants’ experiences with platform migration — their reasons for leaving, their motivations for joining new platforms, and the obstacles they faced. This provided valuable insights into what drives a platform’s success or failure and the potential negative repercussions for communities that relocate.
‘You go first’
The decision to abandon Twitter, and the timing of such departures, is an intricate matter. Establishing a community on a new platform presents significant challenges, largely driven by network effects, where the value of a new platform is influenced by its user base.
During initial migration phases, users must organize themselves to foster engagement on the new platform, a task that proves daunting. One participant likened it to a “game of chicken,” where users hesitate to leave until their peers do the same, fearing isolation in unfamiliar territory.
This phenomenon means that the decline of a platform often unfolds slowly and gradually. One participant described Usenet’s downturn as akin to watching a shopping mall close gradually. Current discussions encouraging users to depart from Twitter echo the sentiments felt during Tumblr’s adult content ban in 2018 and the changes at LiveJournal in 2007. Those who transitioned from LiveJournal to Tumblr reported feelings of exclusion. Changes under Musk’s leadership, including a noted rise in hate speech, have further influenced some users’ sense that the platform is transforming.
What differentiates Twitter is not merely its technology but the unique interplay of interactions within its ecosystems. Reproducing Twitter’s environment on another platform is virtually impossible. Any migration is likely to face common issues experienced by previous migrations: loss of content, fragmented communities, disrupted social networks, and altered community norms.
Yet Twitter embodies a multitude of communities, each characterized by distinct norms and objectives. Some groups may navigate migration more effectively than others. For example, K-Pop Twitter could potentially transition to Tumblr, while segments of Academic Twitter are moving toward Mastodon.
Other communities may already be active on platforms like Discord or Reddit, allowing them to gradually phase out their Twitter presence. However, research indicates that migrations incur costs, and smaller communities may lose some members in the process.
Our study also yielded design suggestions aimed at facilitating migration and optimizing the potential benefits for one platform as users depart another. Features enabling cross-posting can be vital, allowing users to experiment with a new platform while retaining ties to the original one.
Moreover, facilitating network importation from one platform to another can enhance community preservation. For instance, Mastodon offers methods to find Twitter connections, and welcoming messages or easy navigation for new users could significantly enhance their integration.
In this context, Threads holds an advantage over its competitors by allowing users to sign up using their Instagram accounts. This integration means that Threads can leverage its established social graph, enabling users to pull existing followers from Instagram, even if migrating audiences from Twitter proves challenging.
Ultimately, it is essential to acknowledge the inherent difficulties of this transition process. Social media platforms typically have little incentive to ease users’ departures. As technology journalist Cory Doctorow highlighted, this dynamic creates a situation akin to a “hostage situation,” where the allure of friendships binds users to their current networks.
Nonetheless, despite the challenges associated with leaving a platform, communities often prove resilient. Those who migrated from LiveJournal to Tumblr demonstrate that individuals do not need to have their futures tied to Twitter’s fate.
