First it was Facebook and then it was Instagram. It was finding company, and compatriots, and community. I love social media. I love those glimpses into the lives of people who mean something to me. I love those moments of art and beauty. I love being reminded of the wonder of nature, the funny things cats do, how dogs are the best of friends. I truly appreciated knowing I wasn’t alone when the world is being a whole lot crazy, or when motherhood or menopause or work had me in a tailspin. And I loved being able to connect across great and small distances in tiny doses that didn’t overwhelm introverted me.
And I loved being seen. I loved sharing my joys, mishaps, opinions, beliefs and practices. I loved how those little hearts reinforced an emotion or an effort. I was grateful to everyone who saw me and for a place to create. Equal parts gallery and journal and happy hour with friends, Instagram was just a brilliant place. It was the digital version of the perfect neighborhood.
Until the mayor lost his goddamn mind and the city went to shit.
I left Twitter nearly 10 years ago because it just never suited me and was the most hate filled void on the internet. When the only immigrant we should deport took it over, renamed it X and turned it into an even bigger cesspool I found myself pleading with friends to leave because without users there would be no advertisers and without ad revenue there would be no place for the incel’s, homophobes, transphobes, racists, climate deniers and generally unhinged to spread their venom. I left Facebook in 2017 for a lot of the same reasons. And now I’ve left Instagram.
If you’re reading this because you clicked on the link before I closed my account you know why I’m leaving, but, in summary, I CANNOT feed another billionaire who is hell bent on allowing lies and misinformation hurt more people. I refuse to be part of a system that feeds me ads and bullshit that invalidates trans, homosexual, female, or non-white people solely to make one more asslicking billionaire even richer.
There is a very valid argument for staying on the gram; the argument about being a light in the darkness. I do hope that there are those who stay and who fight the good fight. That troll the asshats and clean up the neighborhood. But the reality is, those people are getting shadow-banned all day every day. Even in my very liberal, very progressive feed the content I want is being blocked. The journalists from Gaza I follow I have to go search for because they’re not showing up in my feed. The poets, writers, governments and activists I follow are not in my feed. Which means they’re not in anyone’s feed. They’re just being fed ads and being used as data points in Meta’s sales pitches to advertising clients. They are just making Zuck money as they scream into an ever deeper void.
Most of you know I am a huge believer in a boycott. Boycotting is the easiest way to wield the power we have. If I disagree with you <Insert company or country name here> I will not fund you. I will not buy your products, see your films, attend your festivals, travel to your country. I cut the cable 14 years ago because I refused to fund so much stupidity (reality tv I am 100% talking about you) and Fox News. I haven’t been in a Chik-fil-a in 40 years, and never a Hobby Lobby, because I support LGBTQIA rights. I haven’t been in a Starbucks in years because of their poor record of employee rights and because of their support of Israel in the midst of this genocide of the Palestinian people. I haven’t seen a Marvel movie since Guardians of the Galaxy, refuse to join Equinox fitness even though I get an amazing deal, and would love to see artists NOT play Coachella because the heads of those organizations support the oligarchy and are part of the plutocracy. I haven’t watched a football game since the NFL did Colin Kaepernick wrong for taking a knee…the list is L O N G. And growing.
I am NOT perfect, as is evidenced by my Amazon Prime membership. I am not using it for delivery, just for the video and the grocery discounts, but I should not be paying that asshat anything either. That’s $140 per year that he doesn’t need so that I can sit on my ass and stare at a screen which could be better used elsewhere. I will get there. But the net-net is,
I haven’t given up social media altogether. I am on Bluesky, Mastodon and Vero (until they go stupid) But I won’t be where most of you are and there’s a sadness in that for me. And, I hope, for you too. Because it feels like the bastards are winning. And I hate that.
