Elon Musk calls hashtags ‘Unnecessary and Ugly,’ here’s how users react

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has sparked a lively debate about the relevance of hashtags on the platform. In a recent post, Musk criticised hashtags, describing them as “unnecessary” and “ugly,” igniting a flurry of reactions from users.

The controversy began when Musk responded to feedback shared by an X user referencing “Grok,” the platform’s AI tool. Musk commented, “Please stop using hashtags. The system doesn’t need them anymore, and they look ugly.”

His remarks triggered a range of responses, dividing opinion among users of the social media platform. While some sided with Musk, arguing that hashtags have lost their relevance in the age of advanced algorithms, others fiercely defended their importance in organising content and fostering discoverability.

One user playfully remarked, “Please, Mr Musk, can I carry on using #TwoTierKeir? I hear he doesn’t like it! It’s a shame really; Keir Starmer is the name that keeps on giving with rhyming slang.”

Criticism of Musk’s stance was also widespread, with some users questioning the broader implications for how content is curated on X. One user commented: “The fact that the algorithm doesn’t ‘need’ hashtags is proof the algorithm over-manipulates the content we see. We should be seeing everything posted by accounts we follow, with the option to search hashtags, not force-fed the content the app wants us to see from accounts we don’t follow.”

Others responded with sarcasm, with one user proposing, “We should make #StopUsingHashtags trend,” capturing the irony of the situation.

The debate underscores the evolving role of hashtags in social media. Once a cornerstone of platforms like Twitter, hashtags have traditionally been a powerful tool for grouping content, fostering community engagement, and amplifying conversations around trending topics. Their decline in relevance could signal a shift in how platforms manage content visibility and user engagement.