NORFOLK, Va. — Recent Twitter restrictions, like the temporary limits to the number of tweets users can read, and social media alternatives, like Instagram's newly-released Threads app, have many rethinking how they consume and spread necessary information.
Some Hampton Roads residents opt for other online platforms.
"I don't use Twitter," dozens of people told News 3 Thursday. "I use Snapchat mainly," said Corey Miller, of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Others said they value real-time information at their fingertips.
"I use Twitter for any kind of city updates, festivals, definitely for weather emergencies. Especially right now, I'm getting a lot of pings for the rain, thunderstorms, stuff like that," said Breyana Hall, visiting Virginia Beach from Maryland.
The National Weather Service's Wakefield Virginia office said they tweet "heavily" during times of severe weather and use it to get more real-time feedback than any other platform. NWS uses Twitter to help gather information from those on the ground and push information out to meteorologists, governments, and other people.
They're not the only ones who use Twitter for alerts.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management uses the platform for many emergency notifications and safety tips.
"It is very beneficial in those real-time incidents that are going on all across the commonwealth," said Jason Elmore, the chief agency spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
A representative for Norfolk said the city uses the platform often and the changes to Twitter are "concerning" going forward.
But all agencies told News 3 the changes won't limit Hampton Roads residents' access to information.
The cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake told News 3 they will continue to communicate on the platform as they consider adding communication across emerging platforms like Instagram's Threads app.
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"The City is always evaluating the tools it currently has and exploring up-and-coming trends to ensure we are able to reach our residents. The changes to Twitter’s rate limit, while disappointing, are beyond our control," said Brian Clark with the City of Virginia Beach. "Nevertheless, the City does not rely on a single social media platform or information channel to communicate information to residents and visitors. In addition to Twitter, the City also has a presence on Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, YouTube and LinkedIn to reach our social media audience."
Clark adds that statistics indicate Virginia Beach residents are not often using Twitter for city alerts.
Instead, he says, they're sticking to local television, the city's website, and Facebook. Additionally, Virginia Beach uses another tool to inform residents—VBAlert. It's an emergency-alert system where residents can opt into updates of their choosing.
The local alert systems are something VDEM spokesperson Elmore mentioned, too.
"Make sure you go to your local emergency management," Elmore said. "See if they have an emergency alert sign-up that you can do on their website. They can call you, email you, send you a text message. Getting that information from your local emergency managers is extremely important as well."
If needed in large-scale emergencies, Elmore said VDEM uses a wireless alert system that runs on both televisions and on the radio.
"We have many people in the community not on social media, so we need to be creative how to get that message out," said Elmore.
Maureen O'Leary, spokesperson for NOAA's National Weather Service said, "Twitter's new post viewing limits serve as a reminder for people to have multiple ways of receiving weather information,"
It's not just weather information.
Virginia agencies said Twitter's changes are a reminder to keep multiple lines of communication open.
Twitter's restrictions came as Instagram launched its own text-based social media app, Threads. An informal poll taken on News 3's website revealed most respondents said they'll drop Twitter for Threads.
"I'm in the process of downloading it now," said Hall.
