Chapter 1: The Current State of Social Media

In a surprising revelation, Elon Musk, the owner of the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, expressed that the social media site “might fail.” This statement came after a significant glitch resulted in the removal of images from posts made before December 2014. Musk commented on X, saying, “The unfortunate reality is that there are no exceptional social networks currently,” as reported by The Guardian. He further remarked, “We might indeed fail, as many have anticipated, but we will strive to make at least one successful attempt.”

This past weekend, users noticed that a technical issue caused pictures and links from older posts to disappear, leaving behind incomplete links instead of the original images and videos. Technology expert Tom Coates pointed out the glitch, labeling it as “incredible Musk tampering,” and speculated that it could be a cost-cutting measure.

Many users have expressed concerns regarding the platform's sustainability amidst budget cuts. One notable image, Ellen DeGeneres’ famous selfie from the 2014 Oscars, was among those that vanished but has since been restored. This selfie holds the record for the most retweeted image on the platform, with over 2 million shares. Conversely, former President Barack Obama’s viral tweet from his 2012 election victory remained unaffected.

Some users conjectured that this error might stem from attempts to save on data storage costs or changes instituted in 2016, which optimized URLs, as mentioned by The Verge. This glitch occurred following reports that access to X and other social media platforms, like Meta’s Facebook, Threads, and Instagram, was experiencing slowdowns.

A delay of about five seconds was also observed when attempting to access links to various news sites, including The New York Times and Reuters. Recently, users reported being unable to post or send messages, receiving notifications about exceeding daily tweet limits. Direct messaging functionality was similarly impacted, prompting the company to apologize for the “inconvenience” via a post. Previous issues had already hindered users from logging in or accessing their content.

Since Musk's takeover, Twitter has significantly downsized, cutting thousands of jobs and reducing its workforce. Despite aggressive cost-saving measures since the acquisition, Musk faces ongoing revenue challenges, with a reported 50% drop in advertising income and a substantial debt burden. The platform is liable for annual interest payments totaling $1.5 billion due to debts incurred during the $44 billion deal that privatized the company last October. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company is also facing lawsuits claiming over $14 million in unpaid bills since Musk took control.

Most Controversial Elon Musk Interview (Seriously Heated - Must Watch)

In this video, Musk discusses the challenges facing X, including user concerns and financial difficulties.

Chapter 2: Addressing the Challenges

Has Elon Musk ACTUALLY FIXED the Problems with X / Twitter?

This video explores whether the changes made by Musk have effectively resolved ongoing issues on the platform and what the future might hold for X.