Anyone active in academia and on X (formerly Twitter) will have noticed a significant shift in their timeline since Elon Musk took over the platform. Even before October 2022, many users had already left due to its inability to control trolls and bots, an issue Musk had promised to resolve. Instead, fake news and divisive accounts have returned, hastening a broader exodus.
To understand these changes, we need to look at the bigger picture. Despite its challenges, X remains one of the largest social media platforms for academic discussion. Yet, as Micha Kidambi notes, the platform has been in decline since its COVID peak in mid-2021, worsened by Musk's acquisition. As expected, X has become more divisive, and as Sally McLaren points out, algorithms now suppress credible content, making it harder to avoid harmful trends, while posts receive decreasing visibility and engagement.
Many individuals have already moved to smaller platforms like Mastodon, Threads, and Bluesky, while research organizations are largely staying put, continuing to engage with a shrinking audience. Until recently, I was among them. But this is not another dramatic "I quit" post; instead, it's about what happens next for these organizations.
Everyone has their own reasons for leaving or staying on X, and it’s unproductive to pressure anyone either way. These are personal choices, often influenced by ethical considerations in research communication. While I respect those who remain to uphold reason and justice on the platform, there’s only so much that can be done when the algorithms are this unfavorable.
Before I archive my account, I decided to take a closer look at the academic organizations that are still active on X. My goal was to track which organizations are continuing to engage with this dwindling audience and which have started exploring other platforms.
I’ve compiled a spreadsheet of over 250 academic organizations on social media, including publishers, funders, learned societies, public engagement initiatives, research festivals, professional bodies, and media outlets. You can access the spreadsheet here.
Nearly all of these 250+ accounts remain active on X, though it’s likely that many have had internal discussions about exit strategies. Recently, both Jisc and the Association for Learning Technology announced they would no longer use X, and others will probably follow. The question of whether universities should leave X has also been raised, most notably by Sophie Hogan in Research Professional News. What started as a quiet murmur is now becoming loud enough that organizations will need to make decisions. Unlike individuals, who can quickly act on ethics and strategy, many organizations find themselves stuck, while others, like UKRIO, The British Ecological Society, The Royal Astronomical Society, Wonkhe, ORCiD, and the DORA Assessment, have spread their presence across multiple platforms.
Out of the 264 accounts I’ve tracked, around 39 are on Bluesky, 57 on Threads, and 33 on Mastodon. Mastodon’s decentralized nature makes it harder to track accounts, so that number could be higher. Meanwhile, 183 of these accounts are on LinkedIn, mostly through company profiles or official groups, many of which have been active for years.
What stands out is that most accounts created since Musk’s takeover have remained inactive. While this may serve as a sensible backup or exit strategy, organizations should make it clear where they are actively engaging. Having built up strong communities on X, it’s time for serious discussions about relocating as the platform becomes increasingly toxic. This is especially challenging for organizations that represent multiple voices and provide valuable knowledge. Any decision to leave must consider the needs of these communities.
Social media isn’t going anywhere, and it remains an important way to engage and reflect with others. However, engagement on X will likely continue to decline for research and education organizations unless they are willing to pay for visibility. As the pressure builds to reallocate time and energy, it’s better for organizations to start transitioning now while their audiences are still present. Tools like Sky Follower Bridge (a Chrome web app) can help by identifying Bluesky users from X.
I encourage you to contribute to the spreadsheet I’ve created by submitting any missing accounts or updates via this short form. At present, the list doesn’t include universities due to the extra work involved, nor does it cover platforms like Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram. If the spreadsheet proves useful, these might be added later.
As an optimist, I hope these organizations will come together to sign an open letter to Musk, urging him to address these issues. But as a realist, I know this is unlikely to succeed. That alone is reason enough for organizations to start preparing their exit strategies now before X sinks further.
