Elon Musk and Twitter

It was announced yesterday (April 25th, 2022) that Elon Musk had purchased Twitter, and with that announcement, a new moral panic of sorts erupted. The truth is there are many months ahead before he actually owns Twitter, but the rhetoric of fear and vindication are like tsunami in the media and the social media platform itself. The hype and publicity Musk is creating is creating new fears of conspiracy of censorship by governments, fears of the complete moral downfall of Twitter, and while one side of the political spectrum declares they are leaving the platform or calling for resistance to the Elon Musk incarnation of a folk devil, the other end of the spectrum is relishing in validation and vindication at the horrible censorship they have endured. In the middle Musk is tweeting that people are simply afraid of “free speech” which really is just adding fuel to the flames.