{"id":17982,"date":"2023-11-13T15:20:10","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T14:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceoinfluencers.com\/?p=17982"},"modified":"2023-11-13T15:20:10","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T14:20:10","slug":"what-is-the-deal-with-elon-musk-and-twitter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceoinfluencers.com\/what-is-the-deal-with-elon-musk-and-twitter\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is The Deal With Elon Musk And Twitter"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Elon Musk and Twitter: Is He Truly a ‘Troublemaker’ on the Platform?<\/h2>\n

Elon Musk is one of the most polarizing figures on the internet. On the one hand, he is praised for his ambitious projects to revolutionize transportation, energy, and space travel. On the other hand, Musk is often criticized for his use of Twitter, with some saying he has become a ‘troublemaker’ on the platform. So, what is the deal with Elon Musk and Twitter?
\nMusk initially joined Twitter in 2008, and gradually became more active over the years. Since then, his presence on the platform has grown exponentially. According to media-measurement platform Narasimha, Musk has a total of 54 million followers, with the majority of followers (36 million) being male. He’s also known for his prolific tweeting habits; he usually tweets at least once or twice per day, and often stirs up controversy with his tweets.
\nRecently, he’s posted a variety of tweets that have been considered controversial, such as his “Gamestonk!!” tweet that helped cause a surge in GameStop’s share prices. This tweet has since been flagged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He’s also posted tweets that have been considered defamatory, such as a tweet about the Thai soccer team that was stuck in a cave, which Musk called a “PR stunt”. The tweets have been criticized by some experts, who have said that Musk’s tweets have the potential to move markets and mislead investors.
\nHowever, not all experts agree that Musk’s presence on Twitter is necessarily a negative thing. Some actually think that his tweets may be beneficial to the platform. For instance, research conducted by Fractl found that when Musk tweets something, his followers respond quickly — in just five minutes there was a 47% spike in interactions with his tweets. Additionally, analysis from SocialFlow found that when Musk tweets, traffic to Twitter increases significantly — research has found that a single tweet from Musk can drive up to 17,000 retweets and 600,000 engagements.<\/p>\n

The Impact of His Tweets on Other Brands<\/h2>\n

In addition to sparking an increase in interactions and traffic on the platform, Musk’s tweets have also had an impact on other brands. Tesla has experienced significant growth since its inception. According to data from Statista, Tesla’s total revenue from 2018 to 2020 has grown from $21 billion to over $31 billion. This could be attributed to Musk’s numerous tweets praising the company’s products and praising the employees.
\nSimilarly, Musk has been at the center of numerous “meme stocks”, such as his aforementioned tweet about GameStop, which caused a surge in its share prices. This resulted in a lot of attention on these stocks, causing some investors to reap the benefits. However, it’s unclear how sustainable this effect is, as some of these stocks eventually crashed.<\/p>\n

The Social and Political Impact of His Tweets<\/h2>\n

Musk has also used his platform to make statements about social and political issues. For instance, he tweeted about the Black Lives Matter movement, and compared it to the plight of Uighur Muslims in China. He also tweeted about the need for more universal basic income in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
\nHowever, some believe that Musk’s social and political statements aren’t necessarily productive. For instance, some have argued that his comments about attempting to link the Black Lives Matter and Uighur Muslim movements were insensitive, as it minimized the struggles of both groups. Similarly, his comments about universal basic income were criticized by some experts, who argued that economic inequality is a systemic issue and can’t be solved with a quick fix.<\/p>\n

The Debate Regarding Free Speech vs Harmful Speech<\/h2>\n

Musk’s tweets have also raised the debate regarding free speech versus harmful speech. Proponents of free speech have argued that even if Musk’s tweets are controversial, everyone has a right to express their opinions without fear of repercussions. Meanwhile, those in favor of limiting harmful speech argue that Twitter should take a stronger stance against tweets that could be detrimental to society.
\nTwitter has weighed in on the debate, introducing a new policy to address “abusive behavior”. This policy states that anyone who engages in “misleading, disrespectful, or abusive behavior, including targeted harassment or expressing hate towards a person, group, or protected category” in tweets may be subject to action. Despite this new policy, however, it has yet to be seen whether Twitter will take any action against Musk’s controversial tweets or if they’ll be exempted due to Musk’s influence and reach on the platform.<\/p>\n

The Role of ‘Social Media Influencers’<\/h2>\n