How do you stay connected?

This is the question that our new Voices series, spanning the generations, seeks to address, writes Harriet Williamson

The Musk takeover, with all the chaos associated with it, has forced us to address broader questions (AFP via Getty)

How do you stay connected? This is the question at the heart of the new series we are running on Voices over the coming week.

Since Elon Musk’s buyout of Twitter in October and his mass firing of a reported half of its workforce, the social media platform has struggled to keep hold of advertisers, with big names including General Mills and Audi suspending or cancelling their advertising. Hashtags such as #TwitterIsOverParty and #TwitterIsDead have been trending.

The Musk takeover, with all the chaos associated with it, has forced us to address broader questions – such as what Twitter’s purpose is in our lives in 2022, to what extent it shapes public discourse, and why a social media company matters so much anyway.

Many journalists – myself included – have their own uniquely co-dependent relationship with the platform, as a goldmine of information, a directory for finding sources and experts, and a place to connect with other professionals and readers in order to promote our work and build the dreaded “personal brand”.

Twitter has lost an estimated 1 million users since Musk walked into its San Francisco headquarters carrying a sink. For some, the time has come to explore alternative social media options, like the decentralised platform Mastodon. Others may not replace Twitter with anything “online” at all.

Our behaviour as connection-seeking humans is fascinating – and never more so than when we’re presented with so many new options for reaching out, communicating and forming bonds with one another. This week’s Voices series will represent every age group – separated into 10-year blocks, from 0-10 to 80+ – with writers sharing what “staying connected” means to them.

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Our chief political commentator and prolific Twitter user John Rentoul, economics expert Hamish McRae, and Voices editor Victoria Richards will be contributing, among others.

We’re so excited to share voices and experiences from across the generations with you.

Yours,

Harriet Williamson

Voices commissioning editor