Twitter/X Usage Sees Sharp Decline

As Edison Research is prepping  2024 Infinite Dial® study to be presented onstage at Podcast Movement Evolutions on March 28 with support from Audacy, Cumulus Media, and SiriusXM Media, and they thought everyone might want to have a sneak peek.

The Infinite Dial is a methodologically rigorous study of the U.S. population, tracking key measures in online and broadcast audio, podcasting, social media, and more.

Now needing a parenthetical moniker for clarity, the subject of this week’s insight is “X (formerly known as Twitter).”

In the Fall of 2022, Elon Musk took control over Twitter in a highly-publicized $44 billion acquisition and in April of last year renamed it X. The Infinite Dial survey this year shows a dramatic decrease in the number of people who are using the service in the U.S.

In 2022 and 2023, 27% of the total population in the U.S. reported using Twitter. In the 2024 Infinite Dial, 19% of the total population in the U.S. are using “X (formerly known as Twitter),” a 30% drop.

While The Infinite Dial has recorded many incremental changes over its long history, a 30% change in any metric year-over-year is incredibly rare and noteworthy, acknowledging that in 2022 and 2023 the survey referred to the service as "Twitter" and in 2024 it referred to the service as "X (formerly known as Twitter)." Keep in mind this is not a measure of subscribers or Twitter/X accounts, but a measure of people who say they are “currently ever” using the service. In addition to this overall usage drop, Twitter/X saw declines in monthly and weekly usage.

The Infinite Dial 2024 will provide more details about the state of social media usage in the U.S., including which social media services are gaining in popularity and which services are used most often by various age groups.

Edison is inviting evereyone to join them the presentation via livestream, or in person at Podcast Movement Evolutions on March 28 at 3pm ET. Even if you are attending Podcast Movement Evolutions in person, you will want to register for the free Infinite Dial livestream! This ensures you will receive a link to the replay and to the downloadable presentation deck.