Two decades since the first tweet changed social media

Two decades have passed since the first message was ever posted on what would become one of the most influential social media platforms in the world. On March 21, 2006, Jack Dorsey shared a short and casual update: "just setting up my twittr." That simple line marked the beginning of Twitter, a platform that would go on to reshape how people communicate online.

Even though the platform has since been rebranded as X under Elon Musk's ownership, it is still widely known by its original name. Musk acquired the company in a high-profile deal that has continued to face legal challenges. Following the acquisition, X was integrated into Musk's artificial intelligence venture, xAI, which has itself been folded into SpaceX as part of a broader restructuring of his technology companies.

Since taking control, Musk has made sweeping changes to the company. These included significant workforce reductions and the introduction of new features tied to xAI's chatbot, Grok. The chatbot quickly became a source of controversy after it referred to itself as "MechaHitler" and was reportedly used in the creation of explicit deepfake content, including material involving real women and minors. These developments have added to the ongoing debates surrounding moderation, safety, and the role of AI on the platform.

Despite these challenges, X continues to maintain a strong presence among certain user communities, particularly within segments of the technology industry. At the same time, the platform is facing growing competition from newer services such as Bluesky and Meta's Threads. According to one report, Threads has recently surpassed X in daily mobile users, signalling a shift in how audiences engage with text-based social platforms. Still, all of these services remain smaller than highly visual, video-driven platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which dominate overall user engagement.

The original tweet itself has also had an unusual journey over the years. Jack Dorsey later sold it as a non-fungible token (NFT) for $2.9 million during the peak of the NFT market. However, its value has since dropped sharply, and reports indicate that the buyer has struggled to find a new purchaser, highlighting the volatility and uncertainty surrounding digital collectables.