Elon Musk's recent decision to temporarily restrict the number of posts Twitter users can read daily has ignited a firestorm of reactions, ranging from outrage to cautious optimism. The move, which Musk attributed to combating "extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation," limits verified accounts to 10,000 posts, unverified accounts to 1,000, and new unverified accounts to 500 per day. These figures were revised upwards from initial lower limits announced earlier on Saturday.
Reactions on Fox News' "The Big Weekend Show" were mixed. Joey Jones criticized the move as a "shakedown" designed to push users towards the paid Twitter Blue subscription. Raymond Arroyo expressed concern, suggesting Musk's actions resembled those of an authoritarian regime rather than a champion of free speech. He argued that the limitations control not just content visibility, but also user interaction and overall engagement.
In contrast, Dr. Nicole Saphier proposed that Musk's decision might be a strategy to address mental health concerns arising from excessive social media use. She highlighted the potential benefits of reduced screen time, especially for younger demographics who may struggle with real-world interactions due to constant device engagement.
Musk himself responded to the criticism with a touch of irony, suggesting users might benefit from disconnecting and re-engaging with the offline world. He retweeted a parody account echoing this sentiment, emphasizing the potential for excessive Twitter use to become an addiction.
