Study reveals academic exodus from Twitter after Elon Musk’s takeover

A new study has confirmed that Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022 caused many academics to leave the platform, now known as X. Researchers from the European University Institute (EUI) in Italy investigated the trend, following anecdotal evidence of an exodus among scholars.

The study, titled The vibes are off: did Elon Musk push academics off Twitter?, analyzed over 15,000 academic accounts in economics, political science, sociology, and psychology.

“We studied this because Twitter has been key for academic communication, especially among social scientists,” explained Kevin Munger, the lead researcher and an assistant professor at EUI.

The research found a notable decline in the number of active academic accounts and lower engagement levels from those who remained. The drop-off is linked to changes Musk introduced after acquiring Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022.

Musk’s controversial changes included mass layoffs, reinstating previously suspended accounts, altering the verification system, and an increase in misinformation. These changes altered the “vibes” of the platform, according to the researchers.

Another recent study, led by Henrique Ferraz de Arruda at George Mason University, also highlighted the impact of Musk’s changes. The new verification system, which allows anyone to pay for verification, has driven polarization and the formation of online echo chambers, the study revealed.

These developments suggest Musk’s ownership has significantly reshaped how information flows within the social network.