Why Westminster can’t quit Twitter: speed and information density
Politicians are “addicted” to Twitter for two reasons, its unparalleled speed and its information density, Ben Guerin told PoliticsHome in December 2022, as Elon Musk’s takeover left Westminster wondering whether it could live without the platform. He saw TikTok as its closest cousin for shareability, but noted that video takes time and resources many MPs are reluctant to commit.
- Publication
- PoliticsHome
- By
- Zoe Crowther
- Published
- 20 December 2022
- Type
- Press coverage
- Topics
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- political social media
- TikTok
- UK politics
Key points
- More than 90% of MPs had a Twitter account at the time (90.7%, according to Politics Social)
- Ben’s view: politicians are “addicted” to Twitter for its unparalleled speed and its information density
- Elon Musk’s takeover had journalists, campaigners and everyday users leaving, putting Westminster’s habit in question
- TikTok is Twitter’s closest cousin for shareability, Ben said, but making video takes time and resources many MPs won’t commit
Read the full article at PoliticsHomeSo far, potential successors to Twitter have not gained much traction, and while Mastodon seems the most obvious outrider, the platform's complexity suggests it could struggle to have the same broad appeal as Twitter.
Guerin believes TikTok is its closest cousin in terms of shareability because it allows posts to go ‘viral’ but because making videos is both time and resource-intensive, many MPs are reluctant to commit.
“Politicians are “addicted” to Twitter for two reasons: “The first one is its unparalleled speed, and the second is information density.””
Ben Guerin
Questions & answers
Why are politicians addicted to Twitter?
Ben Guerin told PoliticsHome there are two reasons: Twitter’s unparalleled speed and its information density.
What could replace Twitter for politicians?
Ben Guerin saw TikTok as Twitter’s closest cousin, because posts can go viral there too. But making videos takes time and resources, and many MPs are reluctant to commit.