It has been 20 years since the first message was posted on what was then known as Twitter. On March 21, 2006, co-founder Jack Dorsey shared a simple update that would mark the beginning of a global social media revolution. The platform, now rebranded as X under Elon Musk’s ownership, has since undergone significant transformation.

Following Musk’s acquisition, the company experienced sweeping structural changes, including major workforce reductions and the integration of artificial intelligence features such as the chatbot Grok. These developments, however, have been accompanied by controversies, including concerns over misuse and harmful content generation.

Despite retaining influence among certain user communities, particularly within the technology sector, X is facing increasing competition. Rival platforms like Bluesky and Meta’s Threads have gained traction, with reports indicating that Threads has surpassed X in daily mobile usage.

Meanwhile, visually driven platforms such as Instagram and TikTok continue to dominate the broader social media landscape. The platform’s history also carries financial curiosities. Dorsey’s original tweet was once sold as a non-fungible token for $2.9 million, though its value has reportedly declined sharply. The trajectory reflects both the rapid evolution and unpredictability of digital culture and ownership.

Source: TechCrunch