The Problem with 'X': Should Newcastle Uni remove themselves from the platform?

I decided to quit Twitter back in the summer of 2024 when I realised that the main thing I was using it for (tracking UK politics and listening to people make jokes about the Tories) was no longer necessary, and neither was the endless string of hate, misinformation and petty arguments that was becoming more and more pronounced on my feed each passing day. Given events over the last six months or so, I have no regrets about leaving Twitter, especially since its boss has fully gone down the far-right tech-bro rabbit hole and is now effectively running America. Notice how I haven’t yet called Twitter what he wants me to call it? That’s going to continue...

Because of what I used to use Twitter for, I didn’t even know that Newcastle University had an account or that they regularly posted on it. Many organisations and universities claim to have a Twitter account but then barely use it, having one just to say they have one, so I was surprised to see that the university regularly makes posts, promoting things going on on campus, posting pretty pictures of the campus and the city, etc.

Now, I don’t have a problem with the university using social media and posting this kind of content - that’s what they do on Instagram, Linkedin, Facebook and the like. But that’s my main issue - I did a check of what they post on Twitter and Facebook, and they are exactly the same, not a single difference between them. Also, from my own experience, most students don’t use Twitter as their main form of social media anyway, as Instagram and TikTok are the apps of choice for when we want to communicate and express ourselves. 

This begs the question - is there even still a point to Newcastle University having Twitter? This also begs another question - is it still acceptable to even have Twitter? When even one of their students feels the need to quit the platform due to the endless hate and misinformation, when several companies decide enough is enough and suspend their advertising leading to potential losses of up to $75 million, when Elon Musk is so preoccupied with free speech that he is completely unphased by hate speech, should the university still be on a platform whose hateful content can be directed at some of its students? Simple answer: No. 

There may be issues with Facebook and Instagram, both run by the company of the similarly controversial Mark Zuckerberg, but no other social media platform has seen such a sharp decline into misinformation and hate as much as Twitter, and the university should realise that staying on the platform is a futile endeavour.