Bluesky tells me that I’ve been a member for one whole year! Or rather, I know I joined one year ago because when they hit ten million users they sent everyone a post they could share, showing what number user they were and the date.
Thus it was my first post was actually on 18 September, but it included the information that I joined on 1 December 2023 as user number 2,279,892.
That post is still the only one I’ve made, but I’ve five followers. It always reminds me of Instagram, where I now have 32 followers (and zero posts).
The truth is I spend much less time posting on the socials than I used to, especially post-pandemic as I’ve done less and less worth sharing. I have few real-world friends, now we’ve all drifted away – I certainly don’t have any online ones.
AI, aye
The other truth – for me, anyway – is that several social platforms are just filling up with junk.
All of those poorly written (and frequently inaccurate) posts on Facebook, designed to gain likes so that the algorithm serves you more of the same. LinkedIn is full of irrelevant content from the US or India… I don’t do business there.
I also think that infinite scroll is the second worst thing ever invested (after the smart mobile phone). It helps hide the fact that your zillions of alleged friends have also only made a handful of posts since you last looked in.
So is social media fading from view?
Everything old is new again
No. Of course not. The genie is out of the bottle, it’s difficult to stuff back in.
But as Twitter has failed for so many, we have a chance to do something inspired by a TV programme from my childhood.
The programme was (in full) called “Why Don’t You Just Switch Of Your Television Set And Go And Do Something Less Boring Instead?” For obvious reasons, usually abbreviated to “Why Don’t You…?” And, ironically, a television programme.
I think it is good advice. All of those subscription channels… ditch them, and save a small fortune. Go for a walk, or listen to music, or read a book. All are cheaper (and you can borrow books from a library… they are still open, honest).
And if you swap “television” for “social media”… Why not? The chance to escape the social media bubble has never been greater. Seize it.