Several major changes have come to Twitter since Elon Musk’s purchase and takeover of the social media giant a few months ago.
From stripping blue checks to changing weather warning systems, Musk has flipped the platform on its head.
Mike Gremillion, director of the Global Water Security Center at the University of Alabama, said some of the National Weather Service’s Twitter accounts are being affected by Musk’s changes and that they are now unable to post automated watches and warnings.
According to Gremillion, these changes will effect one age group more than others.
“I think for the younger generation, that they should be very concerned,” he said. “For the younger generation that’s how they get their information. So what I’m concerned with is that as technology advances things like Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok and all those normal social media things today are how people get their information.”
“They don’t get it by reading the newspaper or turning on whoever your local meteorologist is. I think, especially in the younger demographics, there is going to be a chance of informing people about severe weather.”
In the end, Gremillion is concerned that the changes are increasing the amount of people at risk during severe weather.
“I am concerned about this younger generation, and even some of the older generations,” he said. “As time goes along, potentially a lot of peoples lives could be at more risk because of them not sharing that information.”
However, Gremillion did say that there are viable alternatives to Twitter for weather updates.
“There’s always these third-party apps that you have to install,” he said. “But, people have to know where to go and what to get. There’s Weather Bug, the Weather Channel has an app, even Fox News has an app. So, there are apps out there that you can download.”
“You have to enable emergency alerts on your phone. That’s another avenue.”
Gremillion spent more than 25 years as a career meteorologist, was a colonel in the Air Force and also worked for the Department of Defense.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
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