While I used to spend a lot of time on Twitter, the time I spend valuably was on the lists I'd curated on specific subjects - two focused on the Russo-Ukraine war, another focused on COVID, and another focused on campaigns and elections data in the US. Again, as many people think, a lot of the time I spent on Twitter was a poor use of time. But those lists were incredibly informative for me, allowed me to learn a huge amount.
@joshtpm Yes! The optimist in me wants to believe that the internet is not a cesspool, but if used correctly can lead to, as you say, "a deeper understanding we might not get from formal journalism". The internet and social media have turned everything loud, snarky and sloppy and we just need better tools to drown out the schlock.
@SpinozasHeresy I really believe this. I think the great majority of time I spent on Twitter was time frittered away. But those lists helped me understand things at a much deeper level than I could get from most formal journalism. I'm glad you found it helpful too.