on loneliness & microblogging
I wrote about leaving Bluesky all the way back in October because of the then-CEO's "speedrun to enshittification," which at the time mostly meant her public disdain for the userbase. Since then, there have been a few developments (including but not limited to Attie) that further vindicate my decision. But rather than unpack my Bluesky Derangement Syndrome, I'd like to write about thoughts I've had about microblogging in general.
In a lot of ways, microblogging helped me understand my inner life and relationship the world. I published my thoughts to an audience of a few thousand people and received validation in the form of likes, replies, and reposts for ideas/jokes that otherwise would've been tucked away in my private journal. Later on, this validation translated into monetary support for my art practice, as I sold a few zines and accessories to people with him I had a parasocial connection.
When I reflect on my Posting Career™️, I think that specific form of internet presence gave me the false impression that people cared about me. In reality, I was just part of the scroll. It doesn't take much effort to post one-liners and you don't have much to lose when you communicate with people in fragments. Microblogging provided a confidence boost but at what cost? Every notification was a quick, cheap shot of dopamine. While I don't judge anyone for staying (especially given that I am active on other Evil parts of the internet), I am proud of myself for dealing with the discomfort of my exit.
These platforms tap into our fundamental need for belonging, transforming genuine human connection into engagement metrics or "data" to be harvested. There's a reason tech CEOs are watching from the sidelines of communities for which they take credit. I can't leave the mainstream internet without risking real life social isolation, but at least I can acknowledge that short form content does bad things to my brain and focus on more thoughtful channels 🤷♀️