It’s been an interesting week in the social internet world. I doubt there are many people who missed the debacle over at Twitter, wherein the owner (who sells advertising) limited how much of Twitter you could actually see (advertisers unhappy), unless you pay for elite status (which really, I do not understand anyone doing that). This seemed like the prime time to introduce a new app called Threads from Meta (Facebook, Instagram, et. al.). Which also seemed like a good time for Twitter to sue Meta.
I left Twitter last week. I’ve been on the site for many years and always enjoyed it. It actually was a great place to keep up with what’s happening NOW in the world. But the dramatics from the top just got to intrusive into my experience there and I was willing to say goodbye. There are many places to experience connections - and that is the driving force of the social internet.
There are other Twitter-like social apps out there. My beloved Subtack has “Notes”, a pretty friendly place, not as crowded, sometimes a little slow to offer anything new, and often few people respond. It has value to me for connecting with the Substack community, but it has yet to capture what people want out of a social media connection.
Threads is brand new, so it’s too early to say. I understand they will be adding more features as it grows, but it caught on like wildfire - helped along by the ease of existing Instagram users to climb on board. I’ve read some barn-burning declarations that Threads is horrible and will never last and why bother? And I’ve read some optimistic posts. My experience so far is tepid, but not a bad experience yet. Meta hopes to secure the future of Threads by linking it to Instagram. If you leave Threads, you also turn off your Instagram. For most people, that is not something they want to do.
Like a lot of people my age and older, I have some boxes of photographs. There are too many to put on the wall or on a shelf. A lot of them are not great quality, but the image is of someone we love, so we hang on to them. For the generations that came after me, the social internet is their box of pictures (for good or bad). So, the social media world is not going anywhere. It just morphs, repurposes, burns out, starts over.
Twice last week out-of-town friends called me on the phone. How quaint! They didn’t text ahead of time to see if it was a good time, or even have some burning issue to discuss. It was nice. Those are decades-long connections that began far before MySpace had a space in our lives. But it’s a rare experience.
What matters most is connections, and whether it is with someone we only know via a social app, or people we have known for a long time, we live in a lonely world that is thirsty for connection. The more I read about this, the more I realize we are reaching out to a world of strangers while shutting down our real-life connections. That’s a terrible compromise.
Existential dread is not new - but does it seem to have risen to the forefront of our world at this time? Trying to find some meaningful relationship seems to be more difficult as people disengage from face-to-face conversations and instead talk to a screen.
Can you image an episode of Cheers (if you’re old enough, you know) being filmed today? No one would know who Norm was … except the big guy who’s looking at his phone in that booth over there. I wonder what would have happened at the dining table of the Waltons if John Boy was caught up in a Twitter feud during the blessing? We’ve tried to blend the social internet and our own physical world and it just doesn’t work. It disrupts the conversations and connections we long for while offering an electronic connection that doesn’t even require us to be human. The internet is full of bots and I’m wondering if it isn’t turning us into bots as well.
So why did I turn on Threads and how come I’m posting on Notes and sending this out on Substack and placing a link on Facebook? Why don’t we just turn it all off and call a friend to have coffee with us this afternoon? A few people might be able to do that, but assuming there won’t be a cataclysmic failure of all things internet, it’s too late. We’ve built it into our everyday lives. We are experiencing connections with high school friends, with some people we wouldn’t have ever met otherwise, and in our neighborhood and church groups, and the list is endless.
We don’t have to sign up for everything that comes along. But 70 million people did sign up for Threads - and that was yesterday’s count. I think this says something about the human need for connection. It also says something about the effort we should make to connect outside of an internet connection.
Thanks for reading. I’m just ruminating over this whole subject and I’d like to hear your ruminations as well. If you liked this post and hit the heart, that would be kind. Sharing would be extra kind.
I left Facebook and Instagram behind awhile back and haven’t missed them. I’m happier without them, truthfully. I do not plan to try Threads. I’m only on here for you. 😂
I love your take on these things. You are a connected man who seems to genuinely enjoy social media and technology but seems to know how to keep perspective.
There is a direct correlation between the current spike in mental health problems and social media. However, it's not so easy as cutting it off. Spending too much time causes problems. Not spending any time causes problems. Balance is the key. Americans aren't the best at finding balance though. 😀
Have a great evening!