But if you think the glass is half empty, it’s also a comment on the state of social media: where else could Swift have gone?

In 2020, when Swift endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket, she used Instagram And the service that was then called Twitter.

But Swift is certain that if she did use Twitter this time around, new owner Elon Musk, who has renamed the service X, would consider her use of his platform a personal victory. (That’s exactly what his team did after Joe Biden announced via Twitter in July that he was dropping out of the presidential race.)

Swift still uses Twitter, where she has 95 million followers, primarily to celebrate her album releases and tours.

But there are a lot of reasons she might not want to use Twitter to make a political statement today, and they all have to do with Musk. The world’s richest man is a very hands-on owner, and it’s impossible to separate his actions, behaviors, and worldviews from his service. And that’s without even mentioning the fact that he’s been an open Trump supporter since July.

And Facebook? Swift has 80 million followers there, too. But Facebook is where Taylor Swift’s fans’ parents hang out. It’s not her thing, which explains why she hasn’t posted there since April.

And while we know Swift values ​​TikTok — so much so that she used the video platform while her record label was still in dispute with its owners — it’s not really a place to type and read.

So it’s Instagram by choice. And by default.

Two more quick thoughts on this:

• You know how Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his lieutenants keep saying they don’t want their platforms to get involved in politics? Swift’s post is a reminder that while platforms can set up algorithms, incentives, and guardrails to sway user behavior, users still steer the platforms in directions that appeal to them. For better or for worse.

• Swift’s lack of use of Twitter has been a sour note for Musk, though. Before he bought Twitter in 2022, Musk pointed out that celebrities with huge Twitter followings were no longer using the platform, suggesting he would fix that once he owned it. Instead, his ownership has caused many celebrities to leave his service. So now, instead of Swift using his Twitter to make news, he’s forced to make news by responding to Swift with a creepy offer/joke to get her pregnant:

  Fine Taylor…you win…I’ll give you a child and guard your cats with my life

  — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 11, 2024