I spent a week on Mastodon, the social media platform some are turning to as they abandon Elon Musk's Twitter. This is what it was like.

Almost 500,000 users joined Mastodon in the ten days after Elon Musk took over Twitter.Photo Illustration by Davide Bonaldo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

• I tried Mastodon, the app that many disillusioned Twitter users are flocking to, for a week.
• Its confusing servers and emphasis on decentralization only attracts the most tech-savvy.

Elon Musk said that Twitter usage "is at an all-time high" following his controversial takeover of the social media platform. Average daily downloads have surged too, according to research firm Apptopia, but its director of content, Adam Blacker, told Insider's Kali Hays: "It's like a car accident on the highway. People like to stop and watch."

Some come and watch, others are fleeing the scene. Looking for a similar platform with less dramatic ownership, almost 500,000 new users joined Mastodon in the ten days following Musk's $44 billion acquisition of Twitter.

I downloaded the app a week ago, exploring its servers and accounts, making friends and foes. From its glitches to its progressive mindset, this is what my experience has been like.