The Bluesky mass X-odus

The Guardian hit headlines for abandoning X (formerly Twitter) over disillusionment with its “toxic” environment following Elon Musk’s takeover in 2022. While it is important to note that the 20 million users of Bluesky are still a long way off the 245 million daily X users, the exponential growth of the platform signals a pivotal shift in growing discontent, whether in reaction to recent controversies, or the increased desire for platforms that prioritise user trust and transparency.

Bluesky, with its minimalist design—free from algorithms, ads, and “For You” feeds—offers an antidote to the chaos of legacy social networks, bringing back the nostalgia of Twitter in the pre-takeover days. And it’s working. The platform has quickly attracted influential voices: journalists, politicians, brands, and celebrities, with the rapidly adopted transition creating a goldmine for PRs to engage with new audiences & communities.

We can’t help thinking this feeds into the broader 2024 cultural trend: the demand for niche, community & value-driven spaces. Consider Reddit, which boasted an impressive 267.5 million weekly active users in 2023, or the rapid expansion of platforms like Substack and the rise of exclusive, closed communities on Instagram over the past year. For 2025 we’re predicting PRs & journalists will have to navigate a more fragmented, diverse & dispersed digital ecosystem, with targeted, community-centric strategies becoming the new currency. So, with Musk telling advertisers to “go f*uck yourself” – the question remains – who will be next to leave X?