As Elon Musk continues to destroy the infamous Twitter (now X), more people are abandoning the beloved social media app and moving towards a new, or should I say old, approach: Bluesky.
Created by the ex-employees of Twitter, including former CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky offers an almost identical version of X but with peak Twitter’s charm. The goal was to create a much more friendly and progressive place for people to share their thoughts and opinions while remaining respectful and inoffensive, much like the best era of Twitter.
Ever since Elon Musk took over Twitter and began ruining it, it has become a cesspool for offensive, regressive, stupidly harmful misinformation and destructive lies that Musk only fuels and participates in. He’s turned this once gnarly form of social media into a playground run by his own set of petty rules and immaturity. It seems like decades ago Musk was keeping his political views appropriately contained, but since 2020 he has fallen into the category of right-wing conservatism and elite support of Donald Trump, and his ownership of X has only worsened his exploit of the First Amendment.
X has now started consistently pushing for users to give in and purchase the premium subscription. For just $8 a month, you can be granted access to so many world-expanding luxuries, including a little checkmark next to your username, reduced ads, and access to something called “Grok” (don’t ask, I have no idea what it is).
Of course, this is just another shameless attempt to grab poor souls’ money by convincing them this premium subscription is worth something, demonstrating X’s priorities. As of now, Bluesky has shown no intentions of cash grabbing or superficializing for the benefit of their company.
I have been on Bluesky for a week, and so far I haven’t come across any invasive or distracting ads, just purely posts the app thinks I will enjoy based on the sign-up process, and it seems to be doing a great job so far. It still being in its early stages has definitely brought an inspiring dopeness to it that X has lost.
X still offers these same qualities, but they feel sullied and poisoned by the undertone “X” has brought upon itself.
When you open X, you are fed the same curated posts and information, just like Bluesky. Some unrelated things might be sprinkled in your feed as well, but like every social media platform, your feed depends on your engagement with posts and the app in general. You can dig into a comfortable hole on X and surround yourself with the information you want to see while still knowing that just on the surface above; there are terrifying, gigantic, nausea-inducing creatures arguing viciously about anything and everything, all being monitored by the evil overlord Mr. Musk.
As people continue to pull away from X, Bluesky is drawing them in with a comfortable and recognizable interface and environment. Although they come from the same minds, X and Bluesky do have their differences, including their trends, which can be considered a good thing.
Things that trend on X, although they’re pertained towards each unique user, often have a negative twist hidden somewhere nearby. Musk’s control over the app, however, limits things people can post that may start trending, including a “warning” to the person’s post/profile telling them to be careful and watch what they’re posting if it somehow offends him.
On the other hand, Bluesky is a place that encourages free speech but also enforces positive environments. It’s hilarious, and rather gutsy, that Bluesky does not limit the slander of the evil overlord Elon Musk, allowing people on Bluesky to voice their views freely and wholeheartedly. Of course, Bluesky is catered toward each user’s interests as well, but there is no Trending page as of today.
If you ever enjoyed the once comfortable atmosphere of Twitter, Bluesky will be a breath of fresh air in the X world we now live in. In a sea of tweeters, be a skeeter.
