for the longest time i’ve really disliked the fact that i am forced to present myself in different social communities. a blog post here on wordpress, an image on instagram, a post on facebook/meta, share a thought on threads/twitter and maybe a video on tiktok. each of those siloed platforms require me to jump through their tagging hoops, post formatting, and socializing structures. i deeply desire a single place to be me. i don’t want to continue learning their platforms or worry about the misuse of my data. these platforms are not human, are extractive, addictive, predatory, and for most people – a distraction from experiencing their magnificent life beyond the screen.
in january this year, i decided to take some time off of social media. i deleted most things off of my phone, facebook, instagram, threads, and tiktok. they weren’t adding to my life, they were distracting me and putting me on an emotional roller coaster that i was tricked into enjoying. my down time of a month plus really helped me re-engage with myself, text friends, and not constantly feel like i needed to “check in” with my many feeds. i was addicted to the thrill of a like or two, reading some motivational statement, seeing scantily covered breasts, and getting enraged by the state of the world. i felt like i was missing a lot, yet i didn’t feel behind. i felt present and more grounded. fast forward to the writing of this post; while i haven’t fallen completely back into the social media trap, i feel a pull to be present for others and not for myself. this is not the direction i want for myself. i don’t need to talk to the masses, i want to have intimate relationship and deep conversations with a few people that i care about and that care for me, that’s it.
so – to those that follow this blog, please note, i am going to be using it more often – so if you get more than your average email about a new post from me, please feel free to unsubscribe or alter your email notifications from me. please go here to alter your emails. why more emails, more posts? because i still plan on posting on some of the social media platforms (from my computer), but I will only do so after i’ve posted here. i want to own all that i put out there. i am not sure how i am going to handle comments that i might make on other peoples feeds.
so, where will i get my fill of world news, tech updates, sassy pictures, beautiful nature photos, funny memes, or motivational posters. i am going to try my best to interact with close friends for those things so that we can possibly go deeper than a 👍.
w.e.
sD
ps. i’ve got a few friends on whatapp that i interact with and empathylab has a rather quiet community discord channel. if any of those interest you for ongoing conversations with me, let me know!
Hello, I am Shelton. 