The number of environmentalists on Twitter went into freefall in the past year

Almost 50% of environmentally-focused users on the social network X (formerly known as Twitter) have abandoned the platform in the last six months since Elon Musk took over. A team of American researchers described this decrease in discussions about the environment on Twitter as an “exodus” in a study published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution.

Twitter has traditionally been a dominant platform for environmental advocates, providing a space for communication, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas and research. However, since Elon Musk’s takeover of the social network in October 2022, discussions about the environment have significantly declined.

In their study, the researchers analyzed 380,000 users with an interest in ecological topics such as climate change, biodiversity, and policy. They considered users “active” if they posted at least one message on Twitter within a 15-day period.

After analyzing tweets posted between July 2019 and April 2023, the researchers found that only 52.5% of environmentally-focused users remained active on Twitter in the six months following Musk’s takeover. This abandonment rate was higher compared to other online communities discussing general politics on the platform.

The researchers emphasize that Twitter currently plays a crucial role as a social network for discussions, research, and collaboration on environmental issues. The decline in environmental discussions raises concerns for public communication and academic research.

The authors of the study highlight the uncertain future of Twitter as a platform for outreach and research. They stress the need for collaborations between industry, non-profit organizations, and academia to monitor public engagement with the environment across social media platforms for the advancement of primary research, environmental conservation, and climate change mitigation.

This study sheds light on the impact of Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter on discussions about the environment and the potential ramifications for information sharing and public mobilization in the digital age.