I think that more than anything, my usage of sm has shifted. Twitter used to be such a huge part of my professional life as a journalist and freelancer and, with its downfall, I was left flailing a bit in terms of where I get my news, how I stalk my editors (lol), how I promote my work, etc. I still struggle a bit with some of those things, and I haven't landed anywhere definitive yet. But my reasons for being on sm have definitely changed. I mostly lurk on both Threads and Bluesky. On Bluesky, I primarily follow all my favorite authors, while on Threads I see a lot from fellow crafters / book nerds / witchy folks. As for Instagram, that's my main hang. But where before I was more intentional about "strategy," and created slideshows about sex ed stuff on the regular, I now mostly use it to share pics of cats and favorite books and recent needlework projects, and I'm also able to find a lot of inspiration for future embroidery / visible mending / sewing projects. I love Insta for this, and while I still follow a lot of sex educators and other folks in social justice spaces, I feel as if I've curated my feed in such a way that it brings me more joy than agita. For me, it's a matter of balance. I still sing with a local choir. I still belong to various writing groups. I still regularly seek out ways to connect with others in a meaningful way. Scrolling through Insta has just become a nice way to relax and look for fun ideas for my next needlework project.
P.S. My father was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's, which is just the next step in what has been an ongoing shift in our relationship. I'm at the point where my mother is slowly allowing me to help out more with caregiving. It's a real tipping point. My point being: I feel you.
Thanks so much for the detailed reply. I love how you've curated your IG feed so it actually does feed you! Being intentional is the key I believe. And my condolences about the diagnosis. That's a biggie. (((Hugs))) from me
I still have X (twitter) on my phone. I'm considering getting a restraining order against Elon Musk. His posts keep on setting off alerts and I never chose to follow him.
I've been slowly exploring and following interesting accounts in bluesky. I like a collection of random ideas flowing through because, for me, sometimes just a touch of random creates a new insight on some idea that might be demanding a greater amount of focus.
I can feel the desire to rage growing within me with the new administration taking over. I'll have to figure out how to stay informed and engaged, but not continuously doom scrolling.
I appreciate the bit of random. I hope you can find something that works for you. And OMG re: not following someone -- did you see that the Orange One and Vance are being added to people's following lists on Facebook without their consent? It happened to me! So creepy and slimy. Re: staying informed, I don't know if you read my immediate previous newsletter from December, but I detail how I am choosing to stay informed. We'll see how that goes for me. Thanks for your thoughts :-)
Oof, I’m sorry, Steph - that’s a tough shake. My dad is my mom’s caregiver and a diagnosis like this changes things for everybody. (FWIW, someone in a support group tipped me off to Teepa Snow’s work/podcast/materials. She’s a Canadian OT whose deal is a “positive approach to care.” Game-changer for my family.)
@Louise - thank you so much for the mention! I’m so glad you’re down the Colorado with Elzada and Lois. That’s a SPECIAL BOOK. I could’ve read 200 more pages.
I’m with you on the indulgent joy of using a phone to talk. My friend calls me a couple times a week on her way to work in Anchorage, which is the perfect time to take my dog for a walk in Houston. I don’t take for granted how nice it is to have this very casual, very regular window into each other’s lives.
JOMO - Amen! Hoping that social media use will continue declining, although Gen Z and younger want short-form video. I'm looking about for organizations to join to counter or at least mitigate Trump's terrible policies. Escondido Democrats is one.
I never got into the whole video thing, but I understand it's even more addictive, which is dismaying. It's like we're doing these massive society-wide experiements with our brains and nobody thinks twice about what it's doing to us as long as the folks at the top are making money. Scary
Yes to all of this. I've also been rethinking my time on social media because it doesn't give me anything. As much as I make the excuse "it's for promotion/platform" I'm not even taking the time to do that well!! I need to be writing instead- anything that is harder but also more joyful. Thanks for the reminders.
I think that more than anything, my usage of sm has shifted. Twitter used to be such a huge part of my professional life as a journalist and freelancer and, with its downfall, I was left flailing a bit in terms of where I get my news, how I stalk my editors (lol), how I promote my work, etc. I still struggle a bit with some of those things, and I haven't landed anywhere definitive yet. But my reasons for being on sm have definitely changed. I mostly lurk on both Threads and Bluesky. On Bluesky, I primarily follow all my favorite authors, while on Threads I see a lot from fellow crafters / book nerds / witchy folks. As for Instagram, that's my main hang. But where before I was more intentional about "strategy," and created slideshows about sex ed stuff on the regular, I now mostly use it to share pics of cats and favorite books and recent needlework projects, and I'm also able to find a lot of inspiration for future embroidery / visible mending / sewing projects. I love Insta for this, and while I still follow a lot of sex educators and other folks in social justice spaces, I feel as if I've curated my feed in such a way that it brings me more joy than agita. For me, it's a matter of balance. I still sing with a local choir. I still belong to various writing groups. I still regularly seek out ways to connect with others in a meaningful way. Scrolling through Insta has just become a nice way to relax and look for fun ideas for my next needlework project.
P.S. My father was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's, which is just the next step in what has been an ongoing shift in our relationship. I'm at the point where my mother is slowly allowing me to help out more with caregiving. It's a real tipping point. My point being: I feel you.
Thanks so much for the detailed reply. I love how you've curated your IG feed so it actually does feed you! Being intentional is the key I believe. And my condolences about the diagnosis. That's a biggie. (((Hugs))) from me
Good for you on zeroing in on what is important. I'm still in the social media trenches.
I still have X (twitter) on my phone. I'm considering getting a restraining order against Elon Musk. His posts keep on setting off alerts and I never chose to follow him.
I've been slowly exploring and following interesting accounts in bluesky. I like a collection of random ideas flowing through because, for me, sometimes just a touch of random creates a new insight on some idea that might be demanding a greater amount of focus.
I can feel the desire to rage growing within me with the new administration taking over. I'll have to figure out how to stay informed and engaged, but not continuously doom scrolling.
I appreciate the bit of random. I hope you can find something that works for you. And OMG re: not following someone -- did you see that the Orange One and Vance are being added to people's following lists on Facebook without their consent? It happened to me! So creepy and slimy. Re: staying informed, I don't know if you read my immediate previous newsletter from December, but I detail how I am choosing to stay informed. We'll see how that goes for me. Thanks for your thoughts :-)
Oof, I’m sorry, Steph - that’s a tough shake. My dad is my mom’s caregiver and a diagnosis like this changes things for everybody. (FWIW, someone in a support group tipped me off to Teepa Snow’s work/podcast/materials. She’s a Canadian OT whose deal is a “positive approach to care.” Game-changer for my family.)
@Louise - thank you so much for the mention! I’m so glad you’re down the Colorado with Elzada and Lois. That’s a SPECIAL BOOK. I could’ve read 200 more pages.
I’m with you on the indulgent joy of using a phone to talk. My friend calls me a couple times a week on her way to work in Anchorage, which is the perfect time to take my dog for a walk in Houston. I don’t take for granted how nice it is to have this very casual, very regular window into each other’s lives.
Sounds lovely. And I will look up Teepa Snow as well -- thanks for the tip.
JOMO - Amen! Hoping that social media use will continue declining, although Gen Z and younger want short-form video. I'm looking about for organizations to join to counter or at least mitigate Trump's terrible policies. Escondido Democrats is one.
I never got into the whole video thing, but I understand it's even more addictive, which is dismaying. It's like we're doing these massive society-wide experiements with our brains and nobody thinks twice about what it's doing to us as long as the folks at the top are making money. Scary
Yes to all of this. I've also been rethinking my time on social media because it doesn't give me anything. As much as I make the excuse "it's for promotion/platform" I'm not even taking the time to do that well!! I need to be writing instead- anything that is harder but also more joyful. Thanks for the reminders.
Harder but more joyful -- that's a good barometer 👍