Another Social Media Break

About two weeks ago, I decided to indefinitely pause social media. So no apps on my phone and no web bookmarks for Mastodon, Bluesky, and Reddit. To visit them, I would need to manually type the name in the browser search field. My reasons are typical; despite some minor benefits, social media isn't exactly healthy or useful. I figured minimizing this area of my life would free some head-space for better things (like blogging).

Social Media Is Optional

By default, social media is “opt-in.” But by the way our culture lives, it seems the opposite is true; you must join social media to be relevant or “in the know.” But as Gen Z-er Gabriela advocates, opting out of social media is a valid option. In fact, for some, it may be the only viable choice.

Bluesky Is A Social Media Thing

Ah, social media, for better or worse. My usage of it waxes and wanes; moderation is good. Since Twitter died, other platforms have stepped in: Mastodon, Threads, and Bluesky. The latter isn’t new, but it recently surged, so I’ve been trying it again.

Social Media Musing

I totally unplugged from social media for two months, enjoying a good break from it. Now I’ve resumed — mostly Mastodon, a bit of Threads — for sharing links to my blog posts. I’m also drawn into the social aspect and by the behaviorally addictive mechanics. So moderation should be the name of the game, but that’s easier said than done.

A Social Media Break

My on/off relationship with social media is now cycling off. Again. I was really using only one platform: Mastodon. But about a week ago, I signed out everywhere and deleted the apps and bookmarks. I’ve done this before with other social networks. After spending time on them, I grow weary or disenchanted and try Social Media Distancing. Sometimes I detox and disconnect. Maybe this time, I’ll break the cycle for good. Quitting is easy; not restarting is hard.

No Need For Feeds

Well, I did a thing. I’m trying to free my mind from content feeds and the near incessant pull to check, check, check them. The human brain, though neuromarvelous, is not a computer. An app can aggregate hundreds of websites with new content to feed on, but it always ends up overwhelming and never-ending — infinite scroll. My brain simply can’t keep up. So I’ve ditched feeds.

Give Up Social Media?

Thanks to a recent post from Kev, I’m replying by blog. He asked a simple question that may or may not have a simple answer: “Could you give up social media?” As a good blog post can do, it got me thinking.

A Personal Site Versus Social Media

I enjoyed reading a recent post on Kev Quirk’s blog in which he replied to a question: why bother having a personal site when social media works well enough for presence? Kev had good responses, but I wanted to add one.

Trying On Threads Again

This week, maybe all of April, I’m scaling back a bit from Mastodon as I give Threads another try. It has slowly been opening to federation lately, which seems good.

20 Years Of Feacebook

Somehow I totally missed Facebook’s 20th birthday or anniversary on February 4th, 2024. I need a moment to just let that number sink in…twenty years…since Facebook became a thing. In technology and internet fields, that’s a crazy-long time for anything to not become obsolete. And for Facebook, it’s more surprising due to its countless controversies over the last two decades. Yet it keeps making billions of dollars off the billions of people still using it today. And I’m one of those people.

Replacing Twitter With Mastodon Not Threads

Cal Newport has written yet another great piece at the New Yorker about Twitter, questioning the need for a global central communication network. First, he wonders if Threads can or will replace Twitter; it’s unlikely. Then he reasons why we don’t need a Twitter replacement at all.

My Status On Social Media

The social web is sticky. But when the spider comes, this would-be prey wriggles free. That’s related to my recent stance on X (Twitter). I’ve written almost entire blog posts in a few different comments sections this week in response to others’ takes on certain social media sites. So of course it’s time to blog a summary below.

Exit Twitter

Twitter is officially done. The name has left the building. It’s existence is being scrubbed. While the service and app remain with its core features intact, Elon’s recent rename is jarring. It may mark a major pivot or a subtle turn. Either way, I don’t think it’s change for the better.

Twitter Versus Threads

Yesteryear, I was somewhat addicted to Twitter; I deleted it. Then months after Elon Musk’s purchase, I rejoined the network. Now there’s its new clone, Threads, which I also joined. It’s still early, but if I had to use only one of these two social media platforms now, it’d be…

Threads Impressions

New social media app, Threads, is off to a quick rise. It’ll likely cross 100 million users by the end of today, just 3 days after launch. If the pace continues, it will surpass the user count of Twitter, around 250 million, in the next week or so. I’m in the top 3.7 million users who joined, which is saying, well not much really. But I have some first impressions.

Also, I want a Threads logo sticker for my laptop; just sayin’.

Threads To Pull Folks From Twitter

This Vergecast has an interesting discussion about Meta’s planned push into decentralized social media. It’s called Instagram Threads. Can and will it actually federate with Mastodon and the like? Will the Metaverse and Fediverse mix like oil and water? Some people don’t want Meta’s Insta in the Fedi. Despite my own past misgivings with Zuckerberg productions, I’m genuinely interested in what the Facebook owner has cooked up.

I Rejoined Twitter

My off again/on again relationship with social media continues. In April 2022, I deleted my ten-year-old Twitter account before Elon Musk bought the company. Now in June 2023, in an unexpected turn of events, I’ve created a new Twitter account. So what is happening?

Just days after creating my first ever Mastodon account, I went back to Twitter. And a few days later, I revived my Instagram account. So I think this is a general, “Hey, let’s check the latest state of social media” kind of move. Yet clearly I don’t have enough time to be active on all of them. And with traditional blogging being my main focus, I doubt I’ll have much time for even just one social site.

So why did I return to Twitter, the site that I deleted in order to avoid the addiction of checking/scrolling the feed? Why would I invest time on Elon Musk’s platform? How could I trust a site that seems to be imploding while hoards of people flee? What about content moderation and censorship concerns?

A Year Without Facebook

One year ago, I signed out of Facebook, but I didn’t delete my account or deactivate it. I just logged off and didn’t look back. I haven’t signed back in a single time. I had told myself that maybe I’d delete my account if I could stay away from it for a year. Well, I made it. So will I delete Facebook now? Mmmmm, no, not yet.

Micro.blog Is Interesting

I’ve been checking out Mastodon lately — decentralized social media — which led me to rediscovering a related site/platform called Micro.blog. I briefly tried it out a few years ago but didn’t need it alongside my WordPress blog (and Twitter profile). But now, things are different.

Mastodon Is Interesting

As Twitter implodes, there remains the elephant in the room: social media persists. The elephant’s cousin — Mastodon — proves it. Well, sort of. As social creatures, people are going to connect online, one way or the other. At first, I heard about various Twitter alternatives, but Mastodon seems to keep rising to the top. Though I doubt I’ll join, I’m interested in that it’s “federated,” kind of like email.