On September 1st, 2021, I deleted my remaining social media accounts. This included Twitter and Instagram. I quit Facebook a long time ago, and I’ve never used other platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, etc.
After reflection, I came to the conclusion no benefit derived from social media justified its misalignment with my values and the negative impact it has on my life. As they exist today, social media platforms are unworthy of my attention, and I will not use them again.
If you’ve followed me on Twitter or Instagram and wonder where I’ve gone, this is my explanation.
I am tired of:
the fractured attention and habitual self-interruption;
the expectation I be reachable via DMs;
the interface’s continual erosion of my ability to control content I do not want to see;
the elevation of the trivial to the urgent-and-vital;
how the marginal joys of serendipitous discovery are grossly outweighed by the torrent of noise, advertising, and poisonous discourse;
the degree to which people hooked on the platforms seem more prone to depression, anxiety, self-righteous outrage, bitterness, addiction to catastrophe, diminished self-esteem, and creative paralysis;
the illusion of intimacy ambient information fosters without building real relationships;
the fact that social media manipulates and exploits us to enrich companies and shareholders without regard for the toxic consequences of their decisions; and
the myth that real-time consumption of online information, disinformation, and misinformation means one is a well-informed citizen and meaningfully engaged with society.
My reasons are by no means universal. Others seem to feel social media enriches their lives, and there are plenty of writers, artists, and academics who have come to depend on social media for their careers. There are also many who do not.
If need to get in touch, please email, call, or text me.