This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Jason Tsoi. Find him on Instagram at @jason.tsoi. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Following the results of the 2024 election, the United States has experienced a surge in activism across the nation. Moments after Donald Trump was declared President-elect, social media platforms saw a spike in calls for women to join the 4B Movement. At the same time, another online movement has gained momentum: the migration to Bluesky.
The movement primarily focuses on users leaving X, formerly known as Twitter, by deleting the app or deactivating their accounts, and moving onto Bluesky. Before departing, users have encouraged their followers to join them and follow their account on the new app. This raises the questions, what is Bluesky and how was it created?
The Birth Of Bluesky
Bluesky is a social media app, where users can interact with each other through posts and messages. Some users have referred to the app as “old Twitter” for its similar functionality and there’s a logical explanation for that. Before billionaire businessman Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, now called X, former CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey founded Bluesky. In a 2019 post, Dorsey announced the development of the app, aiming to create an “open and decentralized standard for social media,” meaning that users would have more control over their data.
However, Dorsey’s vision for the platform was short-lived. After opening to the public in February, moderation tools were implemented in the app. As a result, Dorsey left Bluesky in May, stating in an interview with Pirate Wires that the app was “literally repeating all the mistakes [Twitter] made.” As of today, the platform is owned and run by CEO Jay Graber.
Before getting into why users are fleeing from X to Bluesky, let’s take a look into the numbers. Despite X’s high number of user visits the day after the election, the app saw over 115,000 deactivations at the same time, according to Similarweb. This is the highest number of deactivations in a single day since Musk took ownership of the app. On the contrary, Bluesky saw a significant increase of new users on the platform. According to the Associated Press, 1 million users joined Bluesky in the week since the election, and the numbers are continuing to climb each day. So, what is motivating users to join Bluesky?
Why Are People Moving To Bluesky?
Despite building a following on X for years, many users are willing to let go of their accounts for two main reasons: to protest against Musk and to escape the toxic climate of the platform.
During the final weeks of the election, Musk became a major figure in the Trump campaign. The billionaire donated millions, attended rallies and even did $1 million giveaways to registered swing state voters in hopes of increasing voter registration in favor of Trump. Ultimately, all of these factors contributed to Trump’s win. On top of that, Trump appointed Musk to co-lead the new “Department of Government Efficiency” alongside Vivek Ramaswamy. This chain of events motivated left-leaning users to leave the platform, making a statement against its billionaire owner, as well as the president-elect.
Left-leaning users are also leaving due to dissatisfaction with the platform’s increased hate speech and misinformation. Following his acquisition of Twitter, Musk fired multiple outsourced content moderators who were responsible for tackling misinformation and unbanned several controversial accounts, including Trump. This opened the door for extreme content, as well as false claims and conspiracy theories, to spread across the platform. The effects of these decisions are continuing to be felt today. On election night, user @NickJFuentes posted, “Your body, my choice. Forever,” igniting outrage among users on the platform.
Since then, several celebrities and politicians have joined or rejoined Bluesky, like Lizzo and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Also, major news outlets are producing content on the platform, including the New York Times and the Washington Post. Are you interested in joining Bluesky? Here’s how to create an account and a brief rundown of how the platform works.
How To Navigate Bluesky
The process of creating a Bluesky account is simple. Once you download the app, you will create an account by entering your email, password and date of birth. Next, you’ll choose a handle for your account. Unlike X, your username is not a standalone entity but followed by “.bsky.social.” After making a handle, you can choose your interests, which will determine the content you will see on your “discover” feed when you first join.
The similarities between Bluesky and Twitter are striking, which is not surprising given that it was created by Twitter’s founder. Both platforms share similar layouts and features, like direct messages and hashtags. Similar to X, you can comment, repost and like users’ posts. While making your own post, you have the ability to add texts alongside photos, videos and GIFS.
However, both platforms also have their differences. Currently, Bluesky does not have a trending page, where users can keep up with the hottest news or topics. But the platform has a standardized block feature, where users can’t view your posts while blocked — a feature that was recently removed on X. Bluesky also has a starter pack feature, where users have the ability to create customized feeds based on their own interests. This makes it easier for new users to find users and content that fit their needs and preferences.
The Future Of Bluesky
While Bluesky’s base is smaller than X’s, the platform is set to have a major social media presence in the coming years. Will Bluesky be a competitor to X? While it’s too early to tell, Bluesky is outperforming its rivals, like X and Threads, on the charts with no signs of slowing down. For days, Bluesky has remained the No. 1 Free App on the Top Charts of Apple’s App Store.
New users are already expressing positive feedback, calling the platform a “safe haven” and “a breath of fresh air” compared to their negative experience on X. While comparing both platforms, users are sharing memes, using pictures of Homer Simpson from “The Simpsons” and Grogu from “The Mandolorian.” As a result, it’s likely that users will stay on the alternative platform without considering a return to X.
What are your thoughts on Bluesky? Will you join the platform? Let us know in the comments.
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