I think there has been some confusion in the name "social media." It's not supposed to be "social" - any more than buttered popcorn is supposed to be butter. Try baking a cake with buttered popcorn (instead of butter) and you'll see what I mean. The "social" part is very small - use Twitter/X or BlueSky as media, follow people you know and trust, ignore (and block) idiots. And, if you're looking for social activities, try yoga classes, art galleries, fun runs, restaurants and bars, theater, and dinner parties. PS: dinner parties can be expensive so start a dinner party club with friends and neighbors. Say 8 people and rotate weeks. That would be 7 nights you didn't need to make dinner (saving $) and went to a real social event.
This is Rhetoric ! Bullshit ! Social media Was Screwed up Long ago ! New Social Media Isn't necessarily a Solution ! And Doesn't Address How Socially Disconnected Society Has Become !!? I Could Go On ! But I'm Exhausted ! And Don't want to go on a Rant !? Not To mention How Many Multitudes Of Avenues We have to go Down to Address It !!
Hear, hear! And I don't mean that as just a rhetorical device. The people yelling loudest about "free speech" don't seem to have the foggiest idea about why "free speech" is important or why the founders wanted Congress to keep their snoots out of it. Unfortunately but understandably, the founders didn't realize how expensive "free speech" can be.
Exercising one's right to speak freely also comes with serious risks. Plenty of people have been killed for doing it. Many, many more have lost their jobs and/or been ostracized for speaking out. And at the same time we have all benefited from the courage of those who accepted the risks and did it anyway.
All of which is to say that it's so important to create spaces, virtual and otherwise, where free speech is possible, even encouraged. Where people have recourse if they are repeatedly shouted down or bullied or threatened. So far Bluesky is looking to become such a space, and I'm glad to be there.
Excellent read!
I think there has been some confusion in the name "social media." It's not supposed to be "social" - any more than buttered popcorn is supposed to be butter. Try baking a cake with buttered popcorn (instead of butter) and you'll see what I mean. The "social" part is very small - use Twitter/X or BlueSky as media, follow people you know and trust, ignore (and block) idiots. And, if you're looking for social activities, try yoga classes, art galleries, fun runs, restaurants and bars, theater, and dinner parties. PS: dinner parties can be expensive so start a dinner party club with friends and neighbors. Say 8 people and rotate weeks. That would be 7 nights you didn't need to make dinner (saving $) and went to a real social event.
This is Rhetoric ! Bullshit ! Social media Was Screwed up Long ago ! New Social Media Isn't necessarily a Solution ! And Doesn't Address How Socially Disconnected Society Has Become !!? I Could Go On ! But I'm Exhausted ! And Don't want to go on a Rant !? Not To mention How Many Multitudes Of Avenues We have to go Down to Address It !!
Hear, hear! And I don't mean that as just a rhetorical device. The people yelling loudest about "free speech" don't seem to have the foggiest idea about why "free speech" is important or why the founders wanted Congress to keep their snoots out of it. Unfortunately but understandably, the founders didn't realize how expensive "free speech" can be.
Exercising one's right to speak freely also comes with serious risks. Plenty of people have been killed for doing it. Many, many more have lost their jobs and/or been ostracized for speaking out. And at the same time we have all benefited from the courage of those who accepted the risks and did it anyway.
All of which is to say that it's so important to create spaces, virtual and otherwise, where free speech is possible, even encouraged. Where people have recourse if they are repeatedly shouted down or bullied or threatened. So far Bluesky is looking to become such a space, and I'm glad to be there.