Jordan Peterson takes a break from Twitter: It’s ‘maddening us all’

Peterson posted a thread on the platform which began, "I recently stopped accessing Twitter for three weeks as an experiment. I had some of my staff post video links etc. It was a genuine relief. I started to read & write more. I started using it again, a few days ago, and I would say that my life got worse again almost instantly."

He added, "The endless flood of vicious insult is really not something that can be experienced anywhere else. I like to follow the people I know but I think the incentive structure of the platform makes it intrinsically and dangerously insane."

Peterson then announced he was "departing" the platform. "So I told my staff to change my password, to keep me from temptation, and am departing once again. If I have something to say I'll write an article or make a video. If the issue is not important enough to justify that then perhaps it would be best to just let it go."

He also said he would be writing an upcoming article on "the technical reasons that Twitter is maddening us all very soon," and concluded, "Bye for now."

Peterson announced earlier this month that he accepted an appointment as the Chancellor of Ralston College in Savannah, Georgia. Ralston described Peterson as "a distinguished scholar and psychologist, a renowned defender of freedom of thought and speech, and a teacher and mentor to millions around the world."

In an announcement, Ralston said Peterson was "a tireless defender of free thought, free speech, and conscientious action; and a passionate advocate of the true and beautiful things that those free acts can attain. A brilliant interpreter of Western culture and a mentor to the millions of students whom the modern university has betrayed, Dr. Peterson understands the transformative power of human civilization and the unique nourishment that its cultural treasures afford."

Twitter has been the focus of media attention recently in the wake of Tesla CEO Elon Musk's pending acquisition of the social media platform.

Peterson’s announcement that he is taking a break from the platform comes after Musk announced last week that his acquisition of Twitter is on hold pending details about spam and fake accounts on the platform. Musk added that he is "still committed" to the purchase of the social media company.