Social media platforms have become ground zero for many recent political and ideological battles. Celebrities, politicians, and even the occasional president seem inclined to wage their wars with unconventional weapons--likes, retweets, and viral comments--reshaping public discourse one post at a time. The first social media platform that likely comes to mind is X, formerly known as Twitter. Since its launch in 2006, X has been at the forefront of this phenomenon. The minute you click into the app, you are bombarded with extremist rhetoric and comically apparent fake news, making the user experience overwhelming, frustrating, and often deeply disheartening.

This has only worsened since Elon Musk, billionaire and CEO of Tesla, bought the app in 2022. Many long-time Twitter users have staged what can only be described as a “mass exodus” (or X-odus) from the app, particularly in the wake of the 2024 election and Musk’s controversial decision to allow AI training on users’ posts. With no clear replacement besides Meta’s Threads, a rising social media contender, it begs the question: does this glorified battlefield deserve a much-needed revival, or is it better to let it fade away?

Blueskys Ahead

Enter Bluesky, an app that has directly benefitted from X’s steady decline. The concept originated within Twitter in 2019, when former CEO Jack Dorsey revealed plans to support developers in creating a “decentralized and open” framework for social media platforms. The app became a standalone company in 2021 and is now led by CEO Jay Graber. When you enter Bluesky, it bears a striking resemblance to its distant relative. It features a familiar user interface and functionality reminiscent of early Twitter, but sets itself apart in distinct ways.

Unlike X, Bluesky encourages its audience to moderate their experience on the app, rather than subject themselves to the whim of an algorithm that prizes engagement over user preference. Users can select their own unique algorithm to create their custom feeds. Similarly, while X seeks to deregulate their platform, Bluesky hopes to promote “anti-toxicity” features that prevent the rampant harassment and misinformation we have seen on other blogging apps.

X recently updated its block function, enabling users to view posts from public accounts that have blocked them. This undermines the purpose of blocking by encouraging potentially harmful or invasive interactions. Bluesky protects users from unwanted engagements, letting them disconnect their original posts from someone else’s quote posts. The app also guarantees that third parties will not train AI on their posts. While these promises may seem like the bare minimum, Bluesky is promoting a safer and more regulated blogging experience compared to its more popular counterpart.

Bluesky is growing, having reached 25 million users in December 2024. However, Threads, with 275 million users, and X, with a whopping 611 million users, present challenging competition to best. Bluesky may be a minor player in the social media battlefield now, but it has the potential to be a respite for those weary of the endless digital wars waged on larger platforms. Regardless, only time will tell if Bluesky can surpass the Meta and X warheads.