DUBAI: Experts gathered to discuss the power of social media platform X, formerly Twitter, in a session called “The Hidden Gems of X” on the second day of the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai.
Panelists included Saudi social media figure Eyad Al-Hamoud; Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, Emirati professor of political science; and family doctor and medical influencer Dr. Adil Sajwani.
Al-Hamoud said: “People get their news on X and not any other social media app.”
He added that the power of the platform was in “conveying the message from the source itself.” However, he cautioned users to be “careful with the language used (so) as not to be misunderstood.”
He said: “It (X) is a free space, but states can monitor what you’re saying and this, at times, can land you in places you don’t wish to be due to a misunderstanding.”
Abdulla, who admitted he had been in “hot water” by expressing his views on X, said that his family often questioned his outspoken nature on the platform, given that he is an academic.
He added: “But it’s important to me. I am a man of words and I consider myself a soldier of my country.
“Words can elate or deflate you. I believe in the power of words more than I believe in the power of images, and that is why X is the place to be for like-minded people.”
Sajwani said that his foray into social media had proved to be unexpected. One of his tweets went viral during the pandemic, resulting in a following of more than 89,000 today.
In his experience on the platform, audiences “don’t want buzzwords they don’t understand.”
Instead, they “want the conclusion of an issue” and “simplified information” that is relatable, and it “is a talent to be able to convey messages in such a way,” he said.
Despite their belief in the power of the platform, all three panelists acknowledged its dark side.
“There are too many trolls and I have learned not to engage with them anymore,” Al-Hamoud said.
Abdulla advised audiences to learn to disconnect from negativity, while Sajwani mused whether a psychological profiling study should be conducted on X users as the amount of negativity and trolling on X was much higher than on any other social media platform.
Sajwani said: “I’ve learned not to take it personally. Whoever is behind that screen could be a child (or) someone having a bad day. I am no longer interested in engaging with their hostility.”
