"What's next? Stop using Emojis?"— Internet reacts as Elon Musk says hashtags "look ugly," asks X users to stop using them

X owner Elon Musk has asked people to stop using hashtags because he thinks they look "ugly." On Tuesday, December 17, 2024, the billionaire took to his X to reshare a post by user @KettlebellDan. The post featured a screenshot of Grok (the platform's AI assistant) answering whether someone should use the feature. Musk wrote:

"Please stop using hashtags. The system doesn’t need them anymore and they look ugly."

Grok responded with a witty answer, calling the feature, which allows netizens to gain visibility or refine search on social media, "as useful as a screendoor on a submarine" (essentially pointless). It described tweets with the feature as "desperate cries into the void," even stating that adding it to posts will "plummet" engagement.

As Elon Musk's post went viral, internet users were quick to react. One commented:

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@elonmusk)

Many shared posts using the feature to emphasize their disagreement with Musk.

"#StopUsingHashtags but why?? I think they add emphasis," one wrote.

"How do you dislike everything that literally gives your platform any identity man #yous*ck," another commented.

However, some expressed their support for removing the feature.

"He has a good point. The search function on this app is so incredibly powerful that it is the perfect (and only required) tool for discovering new content #sarcasm," one person joked.

"I never use hashtags," another added.

"Never really understood their function and never cared to learn," a user chimed in.

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Hashtags began as a way to group discussions on social media in the late 2000s

Grok is a chatbot developed by xAI last year, a recent startup around artificial intelligence. Musk has described Grok as software that "loves sarcasm" and has "a little humor."

Hashtags (prefixed with #) are a form of metadata tagging on social media. They are user-generated and allow the system to filter and cross-reference content by a particular topic or theme. For example, a search on X with the phrase #ElonMusk would display all posts tagged with the term.

According to Know Your Meme, the term's first use is credited to blogger Chris Messina, who suggested using # (or the pound sign) for groups. In a now-deleted tweet (shared in August 2007), Messina wrote:

"how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?"

Chris Messina's tweet (image via Bernd von Jutrczenka/picture alliance via Getty Images)

According to the website, tags were not fully implemented in October 2007. However, things changed during the infamous San Diego wildfires. At the time, Nate Ritter, an online chef, used the #sandiegofire hashtag to tweet consistent updates regarding the emergency. By 2008, its use had increased considerably, and it soon became integral to online culture.

Hashtags have become a way to keep up with viral campaigns, trends, important news, and cultural movements.

Per a December 2024 report by the Economic Times, Musk has recently been prioritizing efficiency on X using advanced tools utilizing artificial intelligence and algorithms over tagging. He also hinted at reducing clutter and implementing a sleeker design.