For over a decade, Twitter, now X, served as the primary social media platform for academia. Its real-time nature, wide reach, and ability to foster professional networks made it a valuable space for academic discourse, data collection, and research. However, Twitter’s transformation into X and its recent policy changes—including paywalled application programming interface (API) restrictions, algorithmic changes, and content moderation—have altered the way researchers and universities can gather data from and interact with the platform.
The Role of Twitter in Higher Education
Twitter has long been a digital community for academics, providing the following features and opportunities:
- Networking: Professors, researchers, and graduate students used the platform to share papers, discuss findings, and collaborate across the world.
- Student Engagement: Educators incorporated Twitter into their courses, encouraging post-class discussions, academic support, and a low-risk place for students to ask questions.
- Conference and Event Amplification: Academic conferences often relied on Twitter for real-time updates, virtual participation, and the sharing of key insights.
Twitter’s Changes: Challenges for Research and Higher Education
1. API Restrictions and the Cost of Access
One of the most significant changes affecting higher education is X’s decision to limit free API access. From 2006 to 2023, users could utilize API—tools that let third-party developers and researchers interact with the platform—to retrieve vast amounts of public data for social studies, analysis, and trend tracking. Twitter’s API enabled thousands of studies into everything from disaster responses to climate change to public sentiment during elections.
Now, API access lies behind a steep paywall—a staggering $42,000 per month—a price point far beyond the reach of most academic budgets. This restricts the ability to conduct digital ethnographies, track misinformation, or study online behavior—areas of research that have long relied on Twitter data.
2. Unclear Algorithmic Changes
X’s algorithm now prioritizes paid subscribers and high-engagement accounts, making it harder for academic content to reach wider audiences. Professors and researchers who once used the platform to share articles and engage in public discussions now see diminished visibility unless they opt for X’s premium features.
For example, users and public figures who were once verified through Twitter’s free verification system now need to pay a monthly subscription for X’s blue checkmark. This shift could reduce important scholarly exposure and conversations as paid users’ content is prioritized in X’s algorithm. Decreased visibility of some academic content could hinder the spread of research findings, limit interdisciplinary collaboration, and prevent nonexperts from accessing new research.
X’s algorithm is also increasingly opaque. It is currently being adjusted to “maximize unregretted user-seconds,” said Musk in January 2025, but few specifics have been given. In late 2024, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that users of X “have very little control over the algorithms” and that X’s new direction makes it a “challenging space for people to find and trust quality news.”
Professors who once utilized Twitter to conduct research and facilitate discussions with students may find that X’s growing lack of transparency makes it an unreliable space for meaningful discourse.
3. Content Moderation
Changes to the way content moderation is done on X have made it tougher for students, educators, and academics to use the platform. While the company claims it’s still policing harmful content, changes like cutting its Trust and Safety Council, bringing back banned accounts, and leaning on automated moderation have made the platform feel less reliable. For educators trying to foster thoughtful conversations, this means a higher risk of running into harassment, misinformation, or extremist content.
Alternatives for Academic Communities
As X becomes less accessible for academic discourse and learning, researchers and educators are exploring alternative platforms:
- Mastodon: A decentralized social network gaining traction among academics. It allows users to create and join specific “instances”—or servers— focused on transparent research and education.
- Bluesky: Bluesky started as an open-source spinoff of Twitter. Due to its free API, Bluesky has attracted a growing number of scholars seeking an alternative space for discourse.
- LinkedIn and ResearchGate: While not real-time discussion hubs, these platforms still provide networking opportunities for academics and researchers.
What’s Next for Researchers and Higher Education?
The evolution of X highlights how unpredictable third-party platforms can be for education. While it’s still a useful tool, its recent changes show the importance of flexibility and having backup plans. By trying new platforms and coming up with fresh ideas, educators and institutions can keep using social media to make learning impactful, no matter how the digital landscape shifts.
Sources
Bickerton, J. (2025, January 5). Elon Musk announces changes as “too much negativity” being pushed on x. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musk-announces-changes-too-much-negativity-being-pushed-x-2009732
Los Angeles Times. (2024, September 25). Elon Musk’s X says it’s policing harmful content as scrutiny of the platform grows. Los Angeles Times. https://latimes.com/business/story/2024-09-25/elon-musks-x-harmful-content-amid-transparcency-report-scrutiny-twitter
Stokel-Walker, C. (2023, March 10). Twitter’s $42,000-per-month API prices out nearly everyone. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/twitter-data-api-prices-out-nearly-everyone/
Twitter’s API Access Changes could mark “end of an era” in academic research on the platform. Center for an Informed Public. (2023, February 3). https://www.cip.uw.edu/2023/02/02/twitters-api-access-changes-academic-research/
