In April 2020, I created my Twitter account with the handle, jackdomleo7. In December 2023, I deleted my Twitter account with just shy of 20k followers.
From 16th December 2023, if a Twitter account exists with the handle jackdomleo7, it is not me!
In my first 8 months on Twitter, I had gained the unofficial status of a "tech influencer" and had built a following of 22k followers. From January 2021, the frequency and quality of my tweets started to decline and my "tech influencer" status was fading away until I decided to quit trying to be an influencer. For more on this, consider reading Why I Quit Being a Tech "Influencer".
Between January 2021 through December 2023, my following decreased from 22k followers to 19.8k followers. I went from posting content and being active almost all day, every day in 2020, to maybe a maximum of 5 posts a year in the years following.
I wanted to continue using Twitter normally as a low-profile user, but because I already had a huge following and had built a name for myself, this was not easy. I felt indirectly pressured to maintain my influencer status and keep churning out content, participating in online events, and other activities.
Having experienced being a tech influencer, I was exposed to the darker sides of Twitter and social media. Scrolling through my feed, it was very common to come across a tweet that made me cringe, ick, disappointed, or annoyed - a little too common for my liking.
After a while, I was not getting anything from Twitter, nor was I providing anything. What I was looking for in tech from social media I was getting from LinkedIn. For months, I compared the two platforms, Twitter and LinkedIn, and decided I was only going to continue with LinkedIn.
Winding down my influencer status from LinkedIn was far easier than Twitter and was able to get a normal LinkedIn account within a few hours by removing 8,000 connections I did not know.
By deleting my Twitter account, I have sacrificed or severely harmed any future of being a content creator or a developer advocate (a career path I considered at some point), but I am perfectly OK with this and felt a sigh of relief deleting yet another social media account that takes me one step closer to living back in the real world.
Top comments (13)
I would like to know how you did that, because my X (formerly known as twitter) keeps pulling me back in ... and I really do not give a #"¤#¤ about soccer moms and Karens, and would like a general filter algorithm (not just online but on the universe) to keep them away ...
Are you asking how I deleted my Twitter account? Or how I self-discipline not going back to Twitter?
That’s brave! Happy for you. I wish I was more in peace about not making content. Like, I love to create but I hate the feeling of HAVING to create. Or having to find followers. I’m still waiting for that level of maturity.
I fully understand and it was the pressure of having to create that took the fun away. It's that cliche 👉 "When the fun stops, stop". I'd never encourage anyone to quit or abandon what they've built but will always encourage doing what is best for you. It took me just shy of 3 years to fully decide what was right for me.
That's so bold decision of you. I also started twitter an year back for the same reason but can't find much value there now I only post one or two tweet in a month. Could you share some tips on how to use linkedin effectively? I can't find good people on linkedin.
LinkedIn is a little more difficult to get your feed to what you want it to be. My feed isn't perfect but I'm happy with about 85% of it. LinkedIn, from what I understand, requires more time to learn your interests. So it's about reading & reacting to posts on topics you're genuinely interested in and not everything LinkedIn throws at you.
I agree with how LinkedIn operates. Twitter, on the other hand, requires at least 5 tweets per day to stay active in the community. However, LinkedIn values quality over quantity, so posting 1 high-quality post daily or 2 to 3 posts per week is sufficient. It's not recommended to post on weekends. Understanding LinkedIn can take time because its algorithm is constantly changing. These are the lessons I've learned from my 2 years on LinkedIn.
Thanks 👍
Mastodon is cozy. Everyone can just be themselves, kind, and not play a silly role.
I've heard good things about Mastodon but I feel joining a new social media when I have just left one might not be a great idea. We'll see in a few months how I'm feeling. 😅
Identity is one of the most powerful motivators that compel our actions.
This can be used beneficially, but it should also be used with caution as the opposite is also possible.
Smart move! Social media (and Twitter especially) can be really stressful, and hard on your mental health. Props to you for taking that out of your life.
Did your dev.to account point to your Twitter account? Were you able to retain your old dev.to account?
I deleted my Twitter account months ago but now find I've also lost access to multiple sites. I had to create a new account for this site -- slightly annoying as I had written a couple of well received articles under my old account.