During, I don’t know, maybe the 18th month of Covid, I simply deleted my Facebook and Instagram account. I never had a TikTok account. Within days, I felt a weight lift off me that I simply cannot describe, and every day since then, when people encounter me and talk about this or that link or this or that thing they saw or had to deal with on Facebook or Instagram or TikTok, I never really feel like I’m missing out. All I can do is describe the sigh of relief I have every single time that I am so happy I’m not involved in all of that fucking goddamn crazy melodramatic meaningless bullshit.
And every time I hear someone say, “how are you not on Facebook? How are you not on Instagram?“ I just reply, “you see how angry you are when you ask me that?“ And that ends the conversation right there.
It’s just like when I quit heroin. But at least drug addicts know they are addicted to drugs that are bad for them. even among the worst of drug addicts, it’s pretty rare to meet some psychopath who believes that drugs are actually good for them. Or anyone. People who are addicted to social media? Rarely will you find such clarity. And even when you do, rarely, will you find the will among the addicts to break free and remain free.
I can convince myself all I like that coming here and being on a “social news aggregation site“ is different, but it’s not really. It still feeds the dragon. it still scratches that itch.
Don’t forget to comment up/downvote reshare. After all the fediverse is dIFFeRenT it uses simpler algorithms and doesn’t sell ads and the brain can tell because I’m definitely not hooked on this Reddit clone.
When I first came here almost 5 years ago now, I tried to rationalize it to myself in that way. But this place has the same main problem as does Reddit or Facebook or Instagram or TikTok… (or Digg or myspace or stumbleupon…)
Shitty people. They’ve everywhere, and you can’t really avoid them, especially online. Interacting with people like that takes a psychological toll, and it can turn even the nicest people into shitty people, too. My best advice: start using those time-limiting options that your phones and computers offer to time limit your ability to interact with social media apps. Even in the fediverse.
giving up facebook and instagram is, contrary to your assertion, actually a higher standard of living than being on them.
Think of all the brain cells you don’t kill! The arguments you don’t have! The data you don’t give the Zuck for free! It’s its own reward, really.
During, I don’t know, maybe the 18th month of Covid, I simply deleted my Facebook and Instagram account. I never had a TikTok account. Within days, I felt a weight lift off me that I simply cannot describe, and every day since then, when people encounter me and talk about this or that link or this or that thing they saw or had to deal with on Facebook or Instagram or TikTok, I never really feel like I’m missing out. All I can do is describe the sigh of relief I have every single time that I am so happy I’m not involved in all of that fucking goddamn crazy melodramatic meaningless bullshit.
And every time I hear someone say, “how are you not on Facebook? How are you not on Instagram?“ I just reply, “you see how angry you are when you ask me that?“ And that ends the conversation right there.
It’s just like when I quit heroin. But at least drug addicts know they are addicted to drugs that are bad for them. even among the worst of drug addicts, it’s pretty rare to meet some psychopath who believes that drugs are actually good for them. Or anyone. People who are addicted to social media? Rarely will you find such clarity. And even when you do, rarely, will you find the will among the addicts to break free and remain free.
I can convince myself all I like that coming here and being on a “social news aggregation site“ is different, but it’s not really. It still feeds the dragon. it still scratches that itch.
Don’t forget to comment up/downvote reshare. After all the fediverse is dIFFeRenT it uses simpler algorithms and doesn’t sell ads and the brain can tell because I’m definitely not hooked on this Reddit clone.
When I first came here almost 5 years ago now, I tried to rationalize it to myself in that way. But this place has the same main problem as does Reddit or Facebook or Instagram or TikTok… (or Digg or myspace or stumbleupon…)
Shitty people. They’ve everywhere, and you can’t really avoid them, especially online. Interacting with people like that takes a psychological toll, and it can turn even the nicest people into shitty people, too. My best advice: start using those time-limiting options that your phones and computers offer to time limit your ability to interact with social media apps. Even in the fediverse.