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When you rely on a particular social media at four community, information, and the latest research, it can be downright terrifying to watch it potentially claps. In my new column for HealthCentral, I talk about the importance of Twitter to the rheumatoid arthritis and chronic illness communities, as well as share alternative platforms that might fill the gap, at least a little:

“WE LOVE TO hate social media and especially Twitter. It’s often seen as a firehose of vitriol and harassment, a place to state your opinion—loudly—instead of having a conversation. But for those of us in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) community, Twitter has been nothing short of revolutionary. As a source of information, community, and access to healthcare professionals and researchers, the platform has been the fastest equalizer and tool for empowerment I have ever seen. Now that Elon Musk has taken over Twitter, many are predicting the end of the platform and many users have already left. Where do we go instead? Where can we find again the community we’ll lose if Twitter goes down? In this column, I outline some of the benefits of Twitter to those of us who live with RA and other types of chronic illness, as well as share a few alternative platforms.

I first joined Twitter just four years after it was launched. On April 30, 2010, I posted this: “My first tweet. The pressure to be witty, original and succinct. Succinct is probably going to be most challenging…” All these years later, I’ve occasionally managed all three (rarely at the same time) and very quickly came to love Twitter. With its chronological feed and easily searchable hashtags, Twitter is the perfect place to find information quickly and this has changed the world, bringing attention to issues and creating powerful change, in the world and in our own lives. It helps me find sources for articles, gives me information about the power outage that hit just before dinner, finds me people who have true wit and who make me laugh, and shows me breaking news.

But here’s the revolutionary aspect for those with RA: Twitter is also an instant tap into a global community of people living chronic illness. A community whose members are willing to answer questions at any time of day or night, offer support when you feel helpless, and work together to make change. I’ve lived with RA for decades and clearly remember the time when a wall existed between patients and healthcare providers. The Internet and social media, especially Twitter, has begun to tear down those walls, creating a space where thousands of people are happy to mentor you on your chronic illness journey and come together to advocate for better healthcare. Building this informed and empowered community of people with chronic illness and disability has led to change in healthcare, such as the shift to a model of shared decision-making.”

Read my column about the impact of changes on Twitter to the chronic illness community.