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Elon Musk, CEO of X, has officially declared that hashtags are not only unnecessary but downright unattractive.
In a recent response to a Grok reply (which roasted hashtags with brutal sarcasm) to the question if hashtags are still relevant, Musk chimed in with his trademark bluntness: “Please stop using hashtags. The system doesn’t need them anymore and they look ugly.”
The comment adds to growing chatter that hashtags — the once-mighty tools of digital discovery — have lost their relevance on X. Originally created to help users find trending topics and engage with specific conversations, hashtags are now being mocked as outdated relics of a bygone internet era.
The shift aligns with Musk’s broader push to streamline X’s user experience and algorithms. Under the hood, X’s systems are now smart enough to surface relevant content without needing users to slap a dozen hashtags onto their posts.
Whether it’s breaking news, viral trends, or niche discussions, X’s algorithms can detect and promote content organically, making hashtags more of a “try-hard” cry for attention than a useful tool.
This evolution reflects a larger trend: as platforms get smarter, users get lazier. Why waste time typing out hashtags when the system already knows what you’re talking about? Still, for many creators and brands who’ve relied on hashtags to boost visibility, Musk’s comments signal a major culture shift.
Of course, Musk isn’t alone in calling out hashtags. The post he replied to hilariously compared hashtag-heavy tweets to “a desperate cry into the void,” suggesting they’re more likely to drive engagement into the ground than elevate content. Adding fuel to the fire, the Grok reply quipped that hashtags are about as useful as “a screen door on a submarine.” Ouch.
