I Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
The social media exodus trend begins again, and this old fart ain’t fallin’ for it. I’ll catch y’all later.
My head hurts. My timeline on Twitter is suddenly blossoming with users leaving for some place called Threads. Others are migrating to BlueSky when they get the invite. I’m finding myself back in that space I was in when I left Tumblr, and I’m not gonna do it again. I’m not trying to be edgy, cool, or an attention you-know-what, I’m just done. DONE.
I gutted my Tumblr. Top to bottom, years of posts, lots of memories. I gutted it in protest. I felt like I was doing “something big” in protest of their restrictive guidelines (at the time) concerning nudity and pornographic images. I left, was forgotten, tried to come back, failed. Hell, let me be honest — when all the drama and posts/reblogs about the rule changes arose, I was already a little over Tumblr. A lot of my favorites were leaving anyway. A man I crushed on faded to black and fell off the digital radar. Another fell off, got married, and all I can see are his Spotify music lists. I not only felt stupid for coming back but also for letting other people convince me that the changes were that bad. Were they?
“Digital activism”, I called it. Joining in a mass exodus to go elsewhere, only to find that “elsewhere” was nonexistent or in formats I didn’t like. Going back wasn’t necessary. As I sat at my desk trying to make it work again, Tumblr didn’t matter anymore. I couldn’t get the old feelings back. I was bored. Foolish former me, what the hell is “digital activism”, anyway? Especially to a company that survived despite people leaving. The move to clean up for sponsors was mixed. Maybe they didn’t get all they wanted, but Tumblr didn’t die off. We’re the butt of smart-ass users who remain. The so-called exodus made the rules change a bit. The people who remained seem happier that Tumblr isn’t as loud as it once was.
I followed a social media movement that hardly mattered. I felt empty. I felt so…stupid. Didn’t I get enough of that BS while I was on Tumblr? I look back at those boycotts and protests and cringe. It was so interesting how people would get so hyped up and later change their minds/forget after the drama boiled down. It started with long-ass “receipts” and thesis statements full of passionate vigor to cancel this and that. How wild it was to be in the digital throes of tangled threads of raging rhetoric! Ohh the outrage that was spread across reposts. The damning dialogue betwixt asks and anonymous burn pages! If you didn’t pick a side, you were such a traitor. If you fought the tide, you were theeeee worst. Defenses be damned, I followed a lot of crap. It moved me to think for myself — completely — once I had a wake-up call between causes. (Kudos to the free thinkers who lurked and signed out until the smoke cleared.)
People doxxed, called folks out, and suddenly peace was no longer an option. Folks were so quick to judge with walls of advanced vocabulary and sociology terminology that I felt like I was back in school. A lot of it went over my head. Sometimes, I just wanted to be a simple user who wasn’t caught up in super-deep PC whatnots. I didn’t want to be inconsiderate, but my goodness — the eggshells! My goodness, how quickly folks forgave and were pals again, celebrating personalities and products like they weren’t just acting betrayed and battered a month ago. Sometimes, Tumblr was a performative stage full of fakers. That was the wake-up call. It can happen anywhere, but Tumblr seemed to be full of it. It was a joke!
I know Twitter is a cesspool of…pick something. I like to use it to spread my links and talk to my friends. I don’t use it as much as I used to. Most of it is out of habit to live-Tweet or catch up quickly. Knowing that the wealthy snark king has ripped it apart (and is still worshipped to this day, gag..) doesn’t make me want to leave. I’ll leave once it has fully fallen apart and my class action payoff is in the mail. Social media isn’t what it used to be, anyway. It’s weird how much it mattered when I was younger. No comment on my TikTok activity.
I don’t need to go anywhere else. I’m not an artist, celebrity, or famous writer (yet). I’m already semi-talking to myself as it is. Imagine starting over somewhere else and really ending up doing more of the same. Just because everyone else is doing the thing doesn’t mean I have to. It’s not a moment of pride — I just don’t give a crap anymore. You’re moving? Great. You’re linking to your new digital home? Fabulous. I don’t know anything about these companies, don’t feel like feeling out the algorithm to see if traffic is any better, and my timeline is still full of my variety mix of topics. I keep hearing that “Black Twitter is moving”, but I’m still seeing my people discuss and post…on Twitter. I don’t think we’re all moving. I think the world will continue to turn.
I want to see these sites prove themselves. Not just by word of mouth. Not just by some paid writer who’s scooping scraps to fill a page. I’m waitlisted for BlueSky from a previous curious streak. I’m not giving another social media company my information. Especially knowing that Meta is behind Threads. I think they have enough on me from Instagram and Facebook. I’m done with moving, introducing myself, trying to look approachable, and fluffing up links people barely click. More than anything else, I am annoyed. Are we gon’ move every time the sh*t hits the fan? Not I, hun. I know that no space on social media is as private as companies like to pretend they are, but enough is enough. Maybe it’s time to wean myself from social media, anyway.
Y’all have fun.
About the Authoress: She’s a night owl with fuzzy locs, an endless Amazon wishlist, and a marginally thick Chicagoan accent. Currently living in a small Tennessee town, she works for Telus AI International and dabbles in basic tie-dye in her spare time. [Contact Info]
