I enjoy no longer being active on a social media platform I was active on
I am now on Mastodon @jaanpill@c.im – I am on this new platform not too often. Enough to read a few items from time to time. I was on a previous platform active from 2009 until recently. [1, 2] I’ve archived the previous material going back to 2009. I learned many things and am pleased I can refer back to previous posts at that platform. In my case, it’s good to be off the previous platform. Below is an item from the New York Times, which I access through the Toronto Public Library website:
The New York Times, Dec. 2, 2022
BREAKING NEWS
Hate speech on Twitter has jumped since Elon Musk took over, researchers found. Kanye West was suspended last night after posting a swastika.
Friday, December 2, 2022 9:21 AM ET
The findings — from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, the Anti-Defamation League and other groups that study online platforms — provide the most comprehensive picture to date of how conversations on Twitter have changed since Mr. Musk acquired the site.
These changes are alarming, researchers said, adding that they had never seen such a sharp increase in hate speech, problematic content and formerly banned accounts in such a short period on a mainstream social media platform.
Note 1
For 13 years from 2009 to 2022 I was active on the previous platform which I refer to. I picked up a lot of useful information and followers I think on occasion also got some useful information from my participation. That said, the platform by its nature takes up a certain amount of cognitive capacity, cognitive functioning, headspace, or attention – or whatever you want to call it. Being off of the platform frees up some of that cognitive capacity.
Note 2
I subscribe to email updates from Mick Ryan and Phillips P. OBrien. I would otherwise have been reading their updates on Twitter.