Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has sparked a heated debate over the relevance of hashtags on their platforms. In a recent post, Musk criticized the hashtags, calling them “unnecessary” and “ugly,” triggering a range of reactions from users.
The controversy began when Musk responded to feedback from an X user who mentioned the platform’s artificial intelligence tool “Grok.” Musk commented: “Please stop using hashtags. The system no longer needs them and they look ugly.
His comments sparked a range of reactions, with users of the social media platform divided. While some side with Musk, arguing that tags have lost relevance in an age of advanced algorithms, others vehemently defend their importance in organizing content and promoting discoverability.
One user joked: “Mr. Musk, can I please continue to use #TwoTierKeir? I heard he doesn’t like it! What a shame; Keir Starmer is a name that constantly rhymes with slang.
Criticism of Musk’s stance has also been widespread, with some users questioning the broader impact of the way content is curated on X. our content. We should see everything posted by accounts we follow and have the option to search for hashtags, rather than being forced to enter what an app wants us to see from accounts we don’t follow.
Others responded with sarcasm, with one user proposing, “We should make #StopUsingHashtags trend,” capturing the irony of the situation.
The debate highlights the changing role of hashtags in social media. Once a cornerstone of platforms like Twitter, hashtags have traditionally been a powerful tool for grouping content, fostering community engagement, and amplifying conversations around trending topics. Their decline in relevance could signal a shift in how platforms manage content visibility and user engagement.