Why Socialist Accounts on X Rarely Follow Back—And What It Reveals About Digital Class Struggle

Socialism, Social Media, and the Illusion of Equality

Socialism, at its core, preaches equality — the idea that no voice should be drowned out by wealth, privilege, or power. Yet scroll through X (Twitter) and you’ll find prominent self-described “leftists” boasting tens of thousands of followers while following barely a handful in return.

This is more than irony. It’s a digital mirror reflecting the very hierarchies socialism claims to dismantle. The few at the top — “influencers,” “thought leaders,” “activists” — command disproportionate attention, set the tone of discourse, and decide whose voices matter. The many at the bottom? Reduced to passive spectators, their replies and retweets functioning like unpaid labour, enriching the brand of those above them.

Socialism claims to fight hierarchy — yet on X, its loudest champions enjoy all the perks of digital aristocracy. Here’s how the left’s online “influencers” mirror the very capitalist structures they condemn.

Social media is built on a scarcity model of attention — a finite resource hoarded by those with visibility. Even in movements built on ideals of solidarity, the same pyramid emerges: a select few enjoy prestige, access, and amplification, while the majority remain invisible. This is not equality; it is digital aristocracy.

They say they fight for the people, but follow almost no one. Inside the strange world where socialist rhetoric meets capitalist self-promotion.

The hypocrisy matters because it corrodes trust. If socialism online reproduces the same structures as capitalism — concentration of influence, celebrity culture, and self-promotion at the expense of reciprocity — then the message of equality rings hollow. If leaders of a movement are unwilling to model the values they preach in something as simple as follower relationships, what does that say about the structures they would build offline?

The digital left has leaders, followers… and a pyramid of power. This is how social media turned socialism into a stage performance for profit.

The problem isn’t just the platform. It’s the willingness of users to play by these rules while preaching another set entirely. Until the left addresses the contradictions in its own digital culture, its call for a more egalitarian society will remain just that — a call, not a practice.

If the left continues to build its identity on a capitalist-owned platform, it will remain trapped in the very cage it claims to fight. The irony? The cage profits from every post, every retweet, every slogan. Let the capitalists keep their cesspit. If socialism truly wants freedom, it should take its voice — and its audience — elsewhere.