We have made the decision to no longer have an active Twitter account. (Twitter is now known a X)
We do this even though it will negatively impact us in various ways including search rankings and audience reach.
Research from Montclair State University in the U.S. shows that after the ownership of Twitter changed in 2022, there was an “immediate, visible, and measurable spike” in hate speech — “vulgar and hostile” language aimed at people “based on race, religion, ethnicity and [sexual] orientation.”
Even before the ownership change, Twitter had already become an unruly and unwelcoming place. In 2018 Amnesty International produced research into the experiences of women on social media platforms and issued a report stating that “Twitter is failing to respect women’s rights online” and “is a platform where violence and abuse against [women] flourishes, often with little accountability”.
These behaviours are the antithesis of what improvisation, improv and our school is all about, which is building things together, supporting each other, and where diversity and inclusion are celebrated. Scientific research also proves that outcomes from improvisation and improv are much improved by embracing diversity and inclusivity, which you will learn more about in our classes.
We strongly believe it would be unethical and hypocritical to continue using Twitter, thus giving the impression that we support human behaviours which we work actively against.