Why the College of Social Work is Disengaging from X (Twitter)
Although imperfect, the social media company X (formerly Twitter) once served as a valuable space for many individuals to build personal and professional networks, to share research and data, and to discover and establish communities of support. It granted constituents an easy way to engage with policymakers, it gave scholars and scientists a public platform, and it facilitated critical social justice movements.
Since October of 2022, X has become increasingly toxic and unsafe for many of its users. Changes in company policy and practice, along with massive layoffs and resignations, have led to significant increases in disinformation, harassment, bullying, and hate speech on the platform. Coupled with the company’s decision to reinstate previously suspended or banned profiles, posts containing a myriad of hateful, discriminatory, and harmful language and ideologies have been permitted to spew forth without restriction.
This hosted content, in addition to the ways X now conducts its business, sharply conflicts with the values of our College and the ethics of our profession. Therefore, as intentional activism, the College of Social Work’s official profile (@USocialWork) will cease activity on X for the foreseeable future.
Although the College profile will no longer engage with X, we will not delete our profile altogether. We hope those who visit our profile will find value, support, and resources through our past posts. We encourage those who wish to connect with the College to contact us through our website (socialwork.utah.edu), Facebook (@UtahSocialWork), or Instagram (@USocialWork).
With this decision, we hope to continue to advocate for our values and beliefs without entirely removing ourselves from the Twittersphere. In any and every space we occupy, we strive to amplify scientific evidence, lift up voices from a variety of different backgrounds, host respectful dialogue and engagement, promote empathy and understanding, and to build thriving communities of kindness and belonging.