I feel your pain. I’ve not been able to engage with social media recently as I am having problems with trolling but it’s actually been rather nice to just spend time in the real world or just reading, walking. I’ve been wondering whether it’s all just too much anyway and what sm actually gives me. The only one I’d miss is Substack but I’ve not been able to post for ages anyway for fear of attack so what’s the point? Why do I continue to give my time and data to platforms that are run in a way I disagree with and which give me such grief? I suppose the honest answer is that connection with writers like you and others is such a pleasure. If there was a way to just write and connect authentically without the huge data collecting machine I’d seize it.
Oh no I’m sorry to hear that. Have you been getting shitty trolling here too? I haven’t had too much on social, only on my personal account (which is public) because sometimes I’m a bit too woke or unattractive, ho hum! The connections here are brilliant and the engagement is way better than regular social where it’s all so fast paced. I love long form content
Oh that’s such a shame, I remember that one utter **** wanging on about paid subscriptions. Once you get over the shock of it, as a therapist do you think ‘I wonder what’s going on in their heads’ or ‘I wonder what happened to them to make them that way’
I’m also making the wild assumption that they’re all men and probably intimidated by the fact that you’re a therapist and it makes them feel uncomfortable.
I imagine I’m one of your terrible people and for that reason I don’t talk about these things in public. But it’s not good to know you’re probably regarded as loathsome. I don’t like the hating and dismissing and would like to stay clear of it. So - can we leave it there?
X is definitely going, I've been considering deactivating my Meta platforms, I don't use them for business, mainly for staying in touch with friends. Facebook and Instagram are an easy decision for me, but Whatsapp I use to stay in touch with my family which makes it tricky. I don't have bluesky. I'll read the article about Spotify because I had no clue. What's the deal with Substack though, do you have any good articles I can read about that?
Oh yes, I totally forgot about WhatsApp - I could probably never get rid of it, no one would move so I’d be out on a limb all the time.
There was an article in the Atlantic in Nov 23 about it & the Substack took some action in January 24 but like any and every platform it supports an open discourse, so if it doesn’t incite violence then it’s allowed.
That’s it until everyone moves you’re stuck - there would need to be a mass migration to another platform to make them sit up and notice - it would have to cost meta for them to care.
It’s so hard isn’t it. I’m not active on X but kept it so far to be able to see what’s happening - but tbh, don’t think that’s necessary really. I didn’t know about the Substack issue though?! I thought this was a beacon of light. :/
Oh gosh - I managed to miss all of this. There’s been a lot of talk lately about moderation after Zuckerberg reducing/removing meta’s. But the general view is that complete freedom of speech allowing hate talk is more harmful than moderating the hate out. Can we as users of the platform report any hate we find and expect to have it removed? I’ll certainly report anything I find. If enough users complain- hopefully things will improve.
I think we probably can and some accounts were removed but the one I ended up on wasn’t overtly hateful and therein lies the problem. It’s clever, they’re clever.
They have had much practice in being sneaky. There’s a lot more brazen hatred these days though. I’m not sure where it stems from, but I have theories. We are at a basic level xenophobic creatures - fear of the unknown and a desire to reject change are strong. Some of us - most perhaps - have come to learn to accept change and realise that people from different cultures are not to be feared. That’s what we have to put out there. The stronger together - we are all Earthling’s message. All we can do is counteract the hate with love. Call it out for what it is and reject it. Probably need to get rid of all the nasty populist right wing politicians too!
It would be great to get rid of all the nasty politicians but it seems that this is there time to ‘shine’ - in my head I’m comparing it to the 1930s… is it cyclical? We’ve had a boom, now a crash and ‘we’ need to blame someone and who’s the easiest? Immigrants. What I find so fascinating about the narrative in the USA is that they seem to forget they are the immigrants & the true owners of that land are native Americans, not a bunch of white European descendants.
Exactly! So hypocritical. I actually do think it’s cyclical. We go too much one way and then things tend to gravitate in the other direction. Maybe one day we will settle at a happy medium where everyone can just get on - but I’m not so naive to think that will actually happen! I’m hoping for a new era of love and peace personally :)
I was the same with X for a while and then just quit.
Substack - there was an article in the Atlantic in Nov 23 about it & the Substack took some action in January 24 but like any and every platform it supports an open discourse, so if it doesn’t incite violence then it’s allowed.
I have platforms fatigue, and I'm on the verge of abandoning *everything* (Twitter/X went ages ago, Meta is about to go, and I don't trust BlueSky very much, either... I can't really get my head around TikTok, I don't like being on video so my camera is always looking outwards instead towards me), only wanting to focus on writing/drawing/designing. I also need to rebuild my website/blog.
And yet, I'm aware that these days if you don't have a platform (= followers/subscribers/you name it, on multiple) it's almost impossible to get a publisher to take you into account, which is frustrating to the max. I really don't know what to do, and I hate the feeling.
I know what you mean, it's all about having an online following and it is bloody exhausting. I plan to self publish but then I also need a platform so that people buy my book, whenever that may be. TikTok is a hard no from me, I can barely keep on top of IG reels, so I'd be lost on that platform. I've become accustomed to video, it's not my favourite, but it's the one thing my freelancing has given me, I had to do it.
It sounds like maybe just take a break form the socials without closing your accounts, it'll give you the headspace and then you can start thinking about what it is that will benefit the most and how to leverage that platform. I have bluesky but not done anything yet.
I feel your pain. I’ve not been able to engage with social media recently as I am having problems with trolling but it’s actually been rather nice to just spend time in the real world or just reading, walking. I’ve been wondering whether it’s all just too much anyway and what sm actually gives me. The only one I’d miss is Substack but I’ve not been able to post for ages anyway for fear of attack so what’s the point? Why do I continue to give my time and data to platforms that are run in a way I disagree with and which give me such grief? I suppose the honest answer is that connection with writers like you and others is such a pleasure. If there was a way to just write and connect authentically without the huge data collecting machine I’d seize it.
Oh no I’m sorry to hear that. Have you been getting shitty trolling here too? I haven’t had too much on social, only on my personal account (which is public) because sometimes I’m a bit too woke or unattractive, ho hum! The connections here are brilliant and the engagement is way better than regular social where it’s all so fast paced. I love long form content
It will be fine and I will write again. That’s the thing I’m looking forward to 😊🙏
Good to hear it hasn't deterred you in the long run :)
I’m afraid so😢 I’m with you on the love of long form tho. And this trolling will pass😊
Oh that’s such a shame, I remember that one utter **** wanging on about paid subscriptions. Once you get over the shock of it, as a therapist do you think ‘I wonder what’s going on in their heads’ or ‘I wonder what happened to them to make them that way’
I’m also making the wild assumption that they’re all men and probably intimidated by the fact that you’re a therapist and it makes them feel uncomfortable.
Please stay on here!
Oh I will, it’s just that moment of despair when you realise that everything has a murky side.
It's easy to block people you dislike. Let that be enough.
It is but it doesn’t always feel like enough.
I don’t know your exact criteria, but I imagine you should probably block me.
Ok, why?
I imagine I’m one of your terrible people and for that reason I don’t talk about these things in public. But it’s not good to know you’re probably regarded as loathsome. I don’t like the hating and dismissing and would like to stay clear of it. So - can we leave it there?
Whatever you want
I will be sorry if you decide to go.
Thank you.
It is. Xxxx
X is definitely going, I've been considering deactivating my Meta platforms, I don't use them for business, mainly for staying in touch with friends. Facebook and Instagram are an easy decision for me, but Whatsapp I use to stay in touch with my family which makes it tricky. I don't have bluesky. I'll read the article about Spotify because I had no clue. What's the deal with Substack though, do you have any good articles I can read about that?
Oh yes, I totally forgot about WhatsApp - I could probably never get rid of it, no one would move so I’d be out on a limb all the time.
There was an article in the Atlantic in Nov 23 about it & the Substack took some action in January 24 but like any and every platform it supports an open discourse, so if it doesn’t incite violence then it’s allowed.
I went down a rabbit hole on one & was appalled.
Here’s the Atlantic article:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/11/substack-extremism-nazi-white-supremacy-newsletters/676156/
Here’s an article from Jan-24 from Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2024/01/09/substack-takes-down-some-nazi-newsletters-but-wont-actively-moderate-far-right-publishers/
Interesting I'll have a read of them, thank you!
Yes WhatsApp is a tricky one. I've been contemplating Signal, but I can't get anyone else to move...
That’s it until everyone moves you’re stuck - there would need to be a mass migration to another platform to make them sit up and notice - it would have to cost meta for them to care.
It would be so amazing if that happened.
It’s so hard isn’t it. I’m not active on X but kept it so far to be able to see what’s happening - but tbh, don’t think that’s necessary really. I didn’t know about the Substack issue though?! I thought this was a beacon of light. :/
Oh gosh - I managed to miss all of this. There’s been a lot of talk lately about moderation after Zuckerberg reducing/removing meta’s. But the general view is that complete freedom of speech allowing hate talk is more harmful than moderating the hate out. Can we as users of the platform report any hate we find and expect to have it removed? I’ll certainly report anything I find. If enough users complain- hopefully things will improve.
I think we probably can and some accounts were removed but the one I ended up on wasn’t overtly hateful and therein lies the problem. It’s clever, they’re clever.
They have had much practice in being sneaky. There’s a lot more brazen hatred these days though. I’m not sure where it stems from, but I have theories. We are at a basic level xenophobic creatures - fear of the unknown and a desire to reject change are strong. Some of us - most perhaps - have come to learn to accept change and realise that people from different cultures are not to be feared. That’s what we have to put out there. The stronger together - we are all Earthling’s message. All we can do is counteract the hate with love. Call it out for what it is and reject it. Probably need to get rid of all the nasty populist right wing politicians too!
It would be great to get rid of all the nasty politicians but it seems that this is there time to ‘shine’ - in my head I’m comparing it to the 1930s… is it cyclical? We’ve had a boom, now a crash and ‘we’ need to blame someone and who’s the easiest? Immigrants. What I find so fascinating about the narrative in the USA is that they seem to forget they are the immigrants & the true owners of that land are native Americans, not a bunch of white European descendants.
Exactly! So hypocritical. I actually do think it’s cyclical. We go too much one way and then things tend to gravitate in the other direction. Maybe one day we will settle at a happy medium where everyone can just get on - but I’m not so naive to think that will actually happen! I’m hoping for a new era of love and peace personally :)
I was the same with X for a while and then just quit.
Substack - there was an article in the Atlantic in Nov 23 about it & the Substack took some action in January 24 but like any and every platform it supports an open discourse, so if it doesn’t incite violence then it’s allowed.
I went down a rabbit hole on one & was appalled.
Here’s the Atlantic article:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/11/substack-extremism-nazi-white-supremacy-newsletters/676156/
Here’s an article from Jan-24 from Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2024/01/09/substack-takes-down-some-nazi-newsletters-but-wont-actively-moderate-far-right-publishers/
I have platforms fatigue, and I'm on the verge of abandoning *everything* (Twitter/X went ages ago, Meta is about to go, and I don't trust BlueSky very much, either... I can't really get my head around TikTok, I don't like being on video so my camera is always looking outwards instead towards me), only wanting to focus on writing/drawing/designing. I also need to rebuild my website/blog.
And yet, I'm aware that these days if you don't have a platform (= followers/subscribers/you name it, on multiple) it's almost impossible to get a publisher to take you into account, which is frustrating to the max. I really don't know what to do, and I hate the feeling.
I know what you mean, it's all about having an online following and it is bloody exhausting. I plan to self publish but then I also need a platform so that people buy my book, whenever that may be. TikTok is a hard no from me, I can barely keep on top of IG reels, so I'd be lost on that platform. I've become accustomed to video, it's not my favourite, but it's the one thing my freelancing has given me, I had to do it.
It sounds like maybe just take a break form the socials without closing your accounts, it'll give you the headspace and then you can start thinking about what it is that will benefit the most and how to leverage that platform. I have bluesky but not done anything yet.
It's just bloody hard