Odd things at X

Speaking of social media, as I was in the last post, I mainly look at X to see what the mad Right (and the appalling Elon Musk) is telling itself,  and I do visit daily.   The number of sensible people still using it seems to be diminishing even further.  (I should up my presence on Bluesky, which I still consider unfairly maligned.)    

But I have noticed in the last few weeks how the "for you" feed in X seems to have had a big increase in what I might call "story posts" - people (apparently) talking about what their husband/wife/child did the other day, and stuff like life lessons that came out of it.  A lot of them are non political - and most have no interest to me at all.  And many feel of dubious authenticity, too.

It seems that the algorithm is trying to "humanise" the place, or something?  But it just feels bland and of no interest.  

I wonder if anyone else has noticed?  Let me check.  Google's AI tells me it is not my imagination:

Yes, many users have observed a significant increase in personal, non-political "story posts" about family and life in the X (formerly Twitter) "For You" feed, a shift aligned with major algorithmic updates in early 2026. 

This change is not coincidental; it is part of a deliberate move to make X more engaging and less politically charged, resembling a "text-based TikTok". Here is why you are seeing more of these posts: 

• New "Grok-Powered" Algorithm: In January 2026, X replaced its legacy system with an AI-driven, Transformer model (Phoenix update) that reads posts and matches them to user interests, actively prioritizing content that generates conversation and "real" interaction.
• Prioritizing Personal Connection: The algorithm now favors authentic, personal stories (often referred to as "storytelling" or personality content) over just news or politics, aiming for higher dwell time and "relatable" content.
• Reduced Political Focus: The 2026 algorithm update, influenced by a new product strategy, seeks to foster a more "welcoming" space, often filtering out or reducing the velocity of polarizing content in favor of higher-quality, personal engagements.
• "Story" Post Structure: The platform is actively pushing conversational, story-like structures that encourage replies and shares, which the new AI deems "higher quality". 

 Can't we just have old Twitter back??