So, I deactivated my twitter account! After more than a decade, it’s time to say goodbye to the bird app. No, this act isn’t a commentary on the state of things vis a vis Elon Musk. Rather, me quitting twitter is the final piece to my complete divestment from social media (I’ve long quit Facebook and Instagram many years ago). To cut myself off fully from the rampant toxicity and negativity. Instead of scrolling through the twitter feed in the morning, now I’ll just listen to music. The latter is a much healthier exercise, that I can assure you.
What do I do for news now? Well, back to what it was before the advent of twitter: actually visiting websites. For technology stuff I’ve got The Verge to tell me the latest. Up-to-date sports there’s ESPN. For Kpop interest there’s the venerable AllKpop. Unlike the endless dopamine hit of an infinite scrolling twitter feed, there’s a finite amount of new stuff when you visit these pages. Surely I’ll get some precious time back from the inability to doom-scroll.
Twitter wasn’t (and isn’t) all negative. I’m going to miss chancing upon book recommendations, or excellent online articles that I otherwise would not have encountered. There’s also the thing I would argue that twitter is best for: watching significant live events or shows. There’s a certain communal magic in having a big sporting match on the TV, and the twitter feed on another screen. I get to see in real-time how others are responding to the same thing I’m watching. Watching a Formula One race won’t be as joyful henceforth, and that is indeed a sad part to quitting twitter.
As with any change, I’m sure I’ll adapt to it in no time. Thanks a bunch for the many good times, bird app.
Lunch is served.