Very late to the discussion, but I’ve come across a few things recently that remind me of my early-2000s website owner days. You may also have come across them since writing this. But I’m looking more into the values of IndieWeb, the concept of the Cozy Web, and the medium of Digital Gardening. I’ve recently written about the attitude of Substack being something other than another content platform, and the predicted shift in how we will consume content as technology advances.
I have never been a member of Instagram but as far as I know when it first started it was all about the ‘exterior’. Artists, writers and other creators exhibiting their work.
Then smartphones arrived and Instagram became all about the interior. Selfies and people showing off carefully chiselled faces and bodies. It became all about ego.
Like you said, as human beings we crave communication. We need it. But I really don’t think social media is the way to do it.
There is a great video on YouTube of an interview with Jaron Lanier. This guy just seems incredibly smart to me. Very hard to find fault with what he says in the interview.
Agree with everything. I think it's one of those cases where the extreme side of something has been experienced and now people are slowly travelling back to the non-extreme.
It won't be the same as before, though. For example, I've been told of a trend on TikTok called 'silent walking' where people post about their walks, during which they don't engage in music, podcasts or talking. ie. just walking.
This is where we are now - people simply going for walks without stimulation is noteworthy.
I deleted my IG account with thousands of followers and started a new private one where I share art with a small number of other artist friends. So I made it personal and that’s working for me now. Not using it (or Substack) to try to make money or get famous.
I feel ya. But the funny thing is, I think most of us early adopters dreamed of an era filled with AI and social media, simply because the younger-us still had those big dreams and hopes. I always wanted to be famous. Back in the 70s and 80s I had to write postcards and letters to get someone’s attention. Now with social media I can reach everyone. It does work, but it’s also tiredsome. So I am also looking for offline alternatives. Online life can be fun, but real life is still better.
This is a great piece and like others, I feel the same, it's reflecting how I'm feeling. I feel exhausted some days after only spending a few minutes on there
Heel mooi en herkenbaar artikel Marloes! Ik moet zeggen dat ik door dit artikel voor het eerst echt blij ben dat het mij nooit gelukt is om een grote following op te bouwen op welk platform dan maar ook. Ik was er te laat mee denk ik. En het frustreerde me altijd. Maar tegelijkertijd demotiveerde het mij dus ook om er al te veel tijd aan te besteden. En door jou verhaal ben ik daar nu blij mee. Al vind ik nog steeds dat ik er veel te veel tijd aan besteed heb, vooral omdat ik er nooit een opdracht uitgehaald heb naar mijn weten. Live contacten zijn inderdaad echt onmisbaar. Zelf spreek ik af en toe af met een groep illustratoren rondom Zwolle. Maar misschien kunnen we ook eens met een ander groepje live afspreken, daar sta ik wel open voor. :) Ik wens je een mooie ontdekkingsreis in je werk! Dat is veel mooier en langer houdbaar dan likes.
"Social media has become a space where nuance is a rare commodity. That world has turned increasingly black and white, and the idea of not having an opinion on something is virtually unheard of. Online, you’re expected to speak out on every issue because 'silence is consent.'"
I love this?! As you wrote in later paragraphs, people tend to judge one's feed while forgetting that's not totally who they are.
"When you’re living in the real world, there’s space to reflect, to choose which global issues to engage with and which to leave to others, and to have genuine conversations. In reality, people who think differently or live differently aren’t necessarily villains in need of cancellation."
And this, too! In the real world, we don't cancel each other if the other person doesn't have an opinion about something or doesn't choose to engage with something people elsewhere are generally engaging with. Because in reality, we're not always in close proximity with someone ; we have our lives to live. In social media, we're in this tight space of each other's feeds and following list. We know immediately if someone doesn't post something and we go after them with metaphorical whips and swords.
Hear, hear, of eh... Read, read! Ik las dit met een vreemde gewaarwording, want het was net alsof ik het allemaal zelf had geschreven. Wat je hier beschrijft... zo voel ik het precies eender. En ook al behoorlijk lang.
Thank you or such a lovely blog post! You put a lot of what I'm thinking into words. I wish I still didn't find leaving social media completely behind so hard. As an illustrator living in a town without other artist friends and colleagues, instagram has been and is the only place I can keep updated on the community of other picturebook artist and publishers in my country. I wonder how it would affect my career to not have any clue what is going on in my industry. And I there is an other way to keep feeling connected and informed that doesn't steal so much of my time and soul as instagram.
After years of effort, our non-profit organization had to make the tough decision to quit our efforts on organic social media. It was just too much of an emotional (and time) drain--the hope to make connections with people who are hurting but with no promise that our posts would reach the majority of our followers.
Very late to the discussion, but I’ve come across a few things recently that remind me of my early-2000s website owner days. You may also have come across them since writing this. But I’m looking more into the values of IndieWeb, the concept of the Cozy Web, and the medium of Digital Gardening. I’ve recently written about the attitude of Substack being something other than another content platform, and the predicted shift in how we will consume content as technology advances.
I have addiction to social media. So my solution is that I got a dumb phone and I started writing and journaling on my alphasmart.
Interesting read.
I have never been a member of Instagram but as far as I know when it first started it was all about the ‘exterior’. Artists, writers and other creators exhibiting their work.
Then smartphones arrived and Instagram became all about the interior. Selfies and people showing off carefully chiselled faces and bodies. It became all about ego.
Like you said, as human beings we crave communication. We need it. But I really don’t think social media is the way to do it.
There is a great video on YouTube of an interview with Jaron Lanier. This guy just seems incredibly smart to me. Very hard to find fault with what he says in the interview.
And he said all of this six years ago…
(link below)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc_Jq42Og7Q
I think I've read his book a while ago. His arguments very much make sense. Thanks for sharing the video, I'll be watching that.
Agree with everything. I think it's one of those cases where the extreme side of something has been experienced and now people are slowly travelling back to the non-extreme.
It won't be the same as before, though. For example, I've been told of a trend on TikTok called 'silent walking' where people post about their walks, during which they don't engage in music, podcasts or talking. ie. just walking.
This is where we are now - people simply going for walks without stimulation is noteworthy.
I didn't realise I was on trend for over 20 years (I've always been silent walking) :D
It's encouraging to know people are appreciating a slower, less hectic, pace again.
I deleted my IG account with thousands of followers and started a new private one where I share art with a small number of other artist friends. So I made it personal and that’s working for me now. Not using it (or Substack) to try to make money or get famous.
Love it.
The end? No. But a new wave of escape artists is emerging.
I feel ya. But the funny thing is, I think most of us early adopters dreamed of an era filled with AI and social media, simply because the younger-us still had those big dreams and hopes. I always wanted to be famous. Back in the 70s and 80s I had to write postcards and letters to get someone’s attention. Now with social media I can reach everyone. It does work, but it’s also tiredsome. So I am also looking for offline alternatives. Online life can be fun, but real life is still better.
😊thanks for doing the heavy lifting putting this all into words- I have felt much of the same
This is a great piece and like others, I feel the same, it's reflecting how I'm feeling. I feel exhausted some days after only spending a few minutes on there
Thank you for putting into words exactly what I’ve been feeling. 💗
Heel mooi en herkenbaar artikel Marloes! Ik moet zeggen dat ik door dit artikel voor het eerst echt blij ben dat het mij nooit gelukt is om een grote following op te bouwen op welk platform dan maar ook. Ik was er te laat mee denk ik. En het frustreerde me altijd. Maar tegelijkertijd demotiveerde het mij dus ook om er al te veel tijd aan te besteden. En door jou verhaal ben ik daar nu blij mee. Al vind ik nog steeds dat ik er veel te veel tijd aan besteed heb, vooral omdat ik er nooit een opdracht uitgehaald heb naar mijn weten. Live contacten zijn inderdaad echt onmisbaar. Zelf spreek ik af en toe af met een groep illustratoren rondom Zwolle. Maar misschien kunnen we ook eens met een ander groepje live afspreken, daar sta ik wel open voor. :) Ik wens je een mooie ontdekkingsreis in je werk! Dat is veel mooier en langer houdbaar dan likes.
"Social media has become a space where nuance is a rare commodity. That world has turned increasingly black and white, and the idea of not having an opinion on something is virtually unheard of. Online, you’re expected to speak out on every issue because 'silence is consent.'"
I love this?! As you wrote in later paragraphs, people tend to judge one's feed while forgetting that's not totally who they are.
"When you’re living in the real world, there’s space to reflect, to choose which global issues to engage with and which to leave to others, and to have genuine conversations. In reality, people who think differently or live differently aren’t necessarily villains in need of cancellation."
And this, too! In the real world, we don't cancel each other if the other person doesn't have an opinion about something or doesn't choose to engage with something people elsewhere are generally engaging with. Because in reality, we're not always in close proximity with someone ; we have our lives to live. In social media, we're in this tight space of each other's feeds and following list. We know immediately if someone doesn't post something and we go after them with metaphorical whips and swords.
Thank you for this essay, Marloes :)
Hear, hear, of eh... Read, read! Ik las dit met een vreemde gewaarwording, want het was net alsof ik het allemaal zelf had geschreven. Wat je hier beschrijft... zo voel ik het precies eender. En ook al behoorlijk lang.
xx
Thank you or such a lovely blog post! You put a lot of what I'm thinking into words. I wish I still didn't find leaving social media completely behind so hard. As an illustrator living in a town without other artist friends and colleagues, instagram has been and is the only place I can keep updated on the community of other picturebook artist and publishers in my country. I wonder how it would affect my career to not have any clue what is going on in my industry. And I there is an other way to keep feeling connected and informed that doesn't steal so much of my time and soul as instagram.
After years of effort, our non-profit organization had to make the tough decision to quit our efforts on organic social media. It was just too much of an emotional (and time) drain--the hope to make connections with people who are hurting but with no promise that our posts would reach the majority of our followers.