I dun gone Newc-Lear
A couple years ago, I wised up to social media and took steps to severely curtail my activity on it.
I was at one point a legit Facebook addict. I would make a comment somewhere, then “get into it” with complete strangers, thinking I was somehow adding to the value of the global economy by proving my lame point on some irrelevant topic was more valid than someone else’s.
There are worse things one can do with their time, like killing horses as part of an insurance fraud scheme (just watched on Netflix last night) but I’m not proud of it.
And then I watched the Social Dilemma (again on Netflix, maybe I’m identifying another issue here) and it sealed the deal for me.
These days I keep Facebook for some mild amusement a few minutes a day, occasionally use the messenger app and maybe find some things to buy on their marketplace, and that’s it. Gone are the days of entangling myself in unwinnable arguments to stroke my ego. And I never really understood why people would treat it as a blog when what you write is basically gone in seconds, a day at the most, never to be heard from again. Better to have your own blog, then use social media to direct people to it. Maybe you won’t have as many people reading your stuff, but they’re more devoted because they took the time to do that sacred extra click – but I digress.
Looking back at those days, I realize how much it affected me to sit there and scroll on Facebook. Hearing news flashes, good and bad, from people I maybe knew years prior but don’t even live near now. Why do I need to hear their son scored a goal in their soccer game, or got sick? Or whatever? It doesn’t concern me in the least.
People who excel in transactional relationships, but 15 minutes into the conversation you realize they’re shallow individuals, those are the ones who dig Facebook and Instagram.
I don’t mean using it as an outreach tool of some kind, that’s one thing. I’m talking about people who are emotionally invested in those dialogues. It’s actually anti-social in a lot of ways, and it makes me glad I did what I did awhile back. Any good that could come from using it pales in comparison to the good that has come from avoiding it entirely for my own emotional health and well-being.
That being said, the potential value of social media is undeniable, which is why I was excited to hear that a couple of fellows I admire and respect were launching their own social media platform called Social Lair. I’ve mentioned it in this newsletter before, but it’s been awhile and there are new subscribers so I’m sure many haven’t heard of it.
It’s a very principled, no nonsense approach to social media. It’s not free (for me ha ha) and maybe I’ll decide in a few months it’s not a profitable endeavor and will move on to something else.
At any rate, my “Lair” is appropriately dubbed “Gone Newc-Lear” and it’s by invitation only. If you want to join me in my lair, just reply to this email and I’ll send an invite to your email address. It will be easier soon enough, but this is the way it is for now.
Socially yours,
James Newcomb