One thing about X is that somebody will be angry.
You can open the app at 7:00 in the morning, minding your own business, and before you have finished scrolling past three posts, somebody is already fighting.
You do not even have to understand what the argument is about.
There is just an argument.
Someone has said something.
Someone else has misunderstood it.
A third person has taken offence.
A fourth person has quoted the original post with, “This is exactly what is wrong with this country.”
And somehow, you are now reading a 47-post argument between people who have never met.
That is X.
It is probably the only place where a person can wake up, drink water, check their phone and immediately become emotionally invested in a disagreement between two strangers in Accra.
And the arguments are never small.
Nobody simply disagrees anymore.
You say, “I don’t think this restaurant is that good.”
Someone replies, “Your taste has always been questionable.”
You say, “I prefer the old song.”
Someone quotes you:
“This generation has no respect for good music.”
You tweet, “I am tired.”
Someone replies:
“People with real problems are not complaining online.”
Sir.
I said I was tired.
X has turned disagreement into a competitive sport.
And there is always someone who has been waiting.
You can post something completely harmless at 9:03 a.m. and receive a response at 9:04 a.m. from an account with 11 followers, no profile picture and a bio that says, “Truth seeker.”
You already know this will not end well.
Then comes the quote tweet.
Ah, the quote tweet.
The quote tweet is where peace goes to die.
A person can reply directly to you and say, “I disagree.”
But instead, they quote your post for the entire internet to see and add:
“We need to have a serious conversation about this.”
Why?
Why are we having a national dialogue because I said I prefer waakye to fried rice?
And there is always an audience.
That is another thing about X.
People do not simply watch arguments. They gather around them.
Someone will tweet:
“Thread.”
And immediately thousands of people sit down.
Another person will say:
“I have been waiting for someone to say this.”
Someone else will respond:
“You people are not ready for this conversation.”
And just like that, a completely ordinary topic has become a national symposium.
The funniest part is how quickly everyone becomes an expert.
Mention relationships and suddenly everybody is a relationship therapist.
Mention football and everybody has a coaching licence.
Mention politics and suddenly everyone has a PhD in governance.
Mention law and, please, everyone has read the Constitution from cover to cover.
Mention medicine and somebody is recommending a treatment they discovered in a Facebook comment section.
And if you dare say, “I don’t know,” you are somehow losing the argument.
X rewards confidence.
Not necessarily knowledge.
Confidence.
You can know absolutely nothing and still type with the authority of a Supreme Court judgment.
And Ghanaian X has its own special talent for this.
One national issue can produce economists, lawyers, historians, political scientists, relationship experts, pastors and professional commentators within thirty minutes.
Everyone has a position.
Everyone has evidence.
Everyone has a screenshot.
And, most importantly, everyone has someone to blame.
But perhaps that is what makes X so entertaining.
For all the arguments, outrage and unnecessary dragging, it is also where you find some of the funniest observations, sharpest commentary and most creative people online.
One person can make a joke about something happening in Kumasi and, five minutes later, half the country is quoting it.
Someone can turn an ordinary Ghanaian experience into a hilarious post that makes thousands of people say, “This is so true.”
The problem is that X rarely knows when to stop.
A joke becomes an argument.
An argument becomes a fight.
The fight becomes a trending topic.
The trending topic becomes a podcast.
And three days later, somebody is still angry.
At that point, you have to admire the stamina.
So, if you are planning to spend some time on X, remember the golden rule:
Somebody will be angry.
You may not know who.
You may not know why.
You may not even be involved.
But somebody will be angry.
And if you are lucky, you will simply be there for the jokes.
Because on X, peace is temporary.
The quote tweet is forever.