The Evolution of Twitter Under Elon Musk
Written by Intern: Zhengyuan Liu
Elon Musk demonstrated his adventurous nature by acquiring a significant stake in Twitter and taking an active role. As a result, Twitter has undergone a series of transformations since he took over. His recent and shocking change of rebranding Twitter as "X" and adopting a new logo, stated that the company has started a new journey from its past.
One of the earliest changes under Musk's influence was an expansion of the platform's character limit. Recognizing the need for more comprehensive and nuanced communication, he oversaw the expansion of tweet length beyond 280 characters. This change was met with mixed reactions, with some praising the ability to share more, while others arguing the potential loss of brevity that defines Twitter.
Under Musk's leadership, Twitter has also embraced multimedia content. The platform introduced enhancements for sharing images, videos, and even short audio clips, enhancing the user experience and enabling more dynamic ways of sharing and posting. This indicates Musk’s idea of creating a more immersive and engaging online environment.
The most recent and the most stunning move made by Musk is Twitter's rebranding as "X.”: switching its iconic bird logo and familiar name for a single letter. This has triggered intense debate over the Internet.
Mike Proulx, vice president of Forrester, says: “Elon Musk has essentially wiped out 15 years of brand value from Twitter and is now essentially starting from scratch.” While many people state their pessimism about such change, others seem not to be bothered and love to joke about it. Rapper Lil Nas X says: “i appreciate elon renaming the app after me but this is honestly overwhelming.”
The choice of "X" as the new identity carries profound symbolism. In mathematics, it represents an unknown variable. Musk’s intent is to create “a super app that contains everything”, so the letter would be the most concise choice, indicating that you could encounter more than just texts and video, or more precisely: everything.
Another reason behind this name change is Musk’s determination to set this new app apart from its previous self. The mass layoff that happened last November indicates his goal of taking this company to a totally different state, and this change in its name is another part of his grand vision. He said: “This is not a right-wing takeover of Twitter. It is a moderate-wing takeover of Twitter” during the layoff, and with the rebranding, he stated, “In the months to come, we will add comprehensive communications and the ability to conduct your entire financial world.”
Musk's takeover of Twitter has been turbulent, and no one knows what will happen next. The recent rebranding to "X" helps Twitter to adapt to this ever-changing digital world. As the user and audience, it remains a mystery to us where the future of this social media giant will go. It could turn out great, or worse, and no one knows, just like its name now: X, an unknown mystery.