Read on Twitter
I’ve been toying with getting off Twitter for a while. I left Facebook a few years ago and have never missed it. Today’s the tipping point. I feel measurably dumber for what I’ve read here over the last 24 hours—mostly from the performative left, some from the performative right.
Over the last decade the site has moved from banal personal broadcaster to entertaining circus to intellectual freak show. It’s now the communication equivalent of mud-wrestling, but without the artistry and sophistication and with more audience participation.
To cite one example: I recently responded to a post by a federal Liberal MP, correcting a clear misstatement. The vitriol that followed, directed at that MP was so nasty and over the top that I wanted to DM the MP and express my sympathy. And I’m not one for coddling politicians.
This was predicable. Start with a design that incentivises and rewards Instant reactions to every issue that flits across the screen, add the distorting effects of anonymity, moral status-signalling, tribalism, and micro-celebrity cults, and you get a spiral of stupidity.
The overwhelming majority of the commentary is so wildly distorted, ahistorical, and just plain ignorant that it can’t help but warp one’s sense of reality.
At its least offensive, it’s a distracting time suck. It’s mental TikTok; a conversational first-person shooter game.
At its least offensive, it’s a distracting time suck. It’s mental TikTok; a conversational first-person shooter game.
Even the rare good-faith exchanges feel weirdly exhibitionist carried on in front of a crowd. There’s something uncomfortably false about self-consciously public exchanges, like striking poses in the forum.
Now, under the censorious eye of Big Brother Tech, it’ll be even worse.
Now, under the censorious eye of Big Brother Tech, it’ll be even worse.
I will keep the account in an induced coma so I can post links to occasional writing and for Nuzzel, and will check DMs.
If I rejoin after a palate cleanser, I’ll follow art, culture, legal, and religious accounts, block even more freely, and use the comment-limiting functions.
If I rejoin after a palate cleanser, I’ll follow art, culture, legal, and religious accounts, block even more freely, and use the comment-limiting functions.
In the meantime, I’ll be looking at pretty pictures on Instagram.
So long, farewell.
So long, farewell.
