The only noticeable thing that's changed is the old blue check mark brigade isn't dominating what gets preference in the algorithm and subsequently what most often goes viral. This group strongly having been in one ideological group has made those in the same group notice they are no longer given automatic popularity points and they don't like it.

Social media has always been cancer, some people just want it more preferenced to their sort of cancer by a centralized system.

But otherwise I see little evidence it's actually stopped anyone from using it other than people giving heartfelt anecdotes on HN and lots of talk about Mastodon that unsurprisingly died off quick.

Instead the new blue check buyers are pushed to the top of replies with either mid responses or ads to their latest crypto pump and dump.

Ah, yes, replies are broken, you are right. When I go to one of the big account (ex Elon) then it is impossible to find a good discussion, you have to scroll a lot through blue check marked memes, scams and then you get a chance for something meaningful. Wish it was more like reddit/HN.

My followers on twitter are 100% bots with a bio that advertises other people's accounts.