Elon Musk on why X users should stop using hashtags

X (formerly Twitter) billionaire CEO Elon Musk recently criticized the platform’s use of hashtags, calling them unnecessary and ugly. His comments were in response to a discussion sparked by an X user who shared insights about hashtags based on feedback from Grok, X’s AI tool. According to Grok, hashtags are “as useful as a screen door on a submarine” and a “ticket to nowhere.” “Nothing screams ‘I’m trying too hard’ more than a tweet full of hashtags, each one a desperate cry into the void of the internet where there’s no way your content will be among the other millions of posts with #blessed or # justgirlythings get lost. ” it said.

Responding to this post, Mr Musk wrote: “Please stop using hashtags. The system no longer needs them and they look ugly.”

Take a look below:

Please stop using hashtags. The system no longer needs them and they look ugly. https://t.co/GKEp1v1wiB

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2024

Mr. Musk’s response quickly sparked several reactions. While some users supported his stance, others defended the continued usefulness of hashtags for content organization and discoverability.

“My job is social media management – one of the first things I explain to brands is that I don’t use hashtags because they are ugly and will just make their account look spammy. “I also recommend not using GIFs and staying away from links,” one user commented.

“Hashtags are useful for linking to posts on a topic and can be used to identify trending topics,” another explained. “The great thing about hashtags is that you can just click on them and see posts with the same hashtag. “In this respect, I see no alternative for certain topics and areas of application,” wrote a third user.

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“It’s easy for Elon Musk to dismiss hashtags when he has millions of followers at his fingertips, but for smaller accounts, hashtags can still play a strategic role,” one said.

“Things like this are exactly why certain accounts get millions of unearned impressions. The fact that the algorithm doesn’t “need” hashtags is evidence that the algorithm is overly manipulating the content we see. We should see everything posted by the accounts we follow,” with the option to search hashtags without force-feeding the content the app wants to show us, even if it comes from accounts we don’t follow “wrote another.

“One thing I think you missed is that they are still the easiest way to find related posts – one click and you find them, so hashtags are helpful from a user’s perspective. Is there another 1-click way if you don’t like them?” one user asked.