The sentiment that using Twitter (X) has become like a Catch-22 situation resonates with many users, reflecting the paradoxical nature of the platform's current state. Here's how this might be interpreted:
Engagement vs. Visibility: You need engagement to gain visibility, but the platform's algorithms and bot activity can make genuine engagement harder to achieve, thus reducing your visibility.
Content Moderation: If you post content that goes against the grain or is controversial, you might face reduced visibility or account penalties. However, playing it safe might not attract the engagement needed to stand out, creating a dilemma where you're "damned if you do, damned if you don't."
Spam and Bots: Interacting with your posts to increase visibility might attract spam bots, which in turn can lead to your account being penalized for artificially inflating engagement. If you don't interact, your content might not get seen at all.
User Experience: The more you use the platform to express yourself or share information, the more you might feel trapped by its limitations or manipulated by its algorithms, yet leaving or reducing your presence could disconnect you from your audience or community.
This situation encapsulates the essence of a Catch-22 scenario where each action taken to improve or maintain one's presence on X can lead to unintended negative consequences, making the platform's use feel like a no-win situation for many users. The transformation of Twitter into X, with changes in policy, moderation, and platform focus, has contributed to this feeling among its user base.