Where do I go next?
Like many among my readers, I’ve vastly reduced my use of Twitter over the last couple of years. Since the radical changes in ownership and corporate attitudes last year to its staff I’ve been deliberately staying off the platform, whereas before I was just avoiding it.
Twitter used to be somewhere I spent time, I read and learned stuff – stuff about the world, current affairs, technology, Higher Education, learning, eLearning, leadership, work, etc, etc. I rarely followed ‘celebrities’ as I just don’t see the point in them (but happily follow #EdTech celebs like Alec Couros, Maha Bali, Steve Wheeler, Sheila MacNeill, etc
But no more. I find myself struggling to find the things I want to read about, things that aren’t clickbait, or articles/tweets that arent’ just plain nasty, cruel, racist, sexist, or any other dystopian system. I need help with the following –
- Finding and reading information that’s relevant to my work and my interests – learning, eLearning, leadership, Higher Education, Lego, vinyl record collecting, etc – was easy with Twitter and LinkedIn. My own reduced activity and follower list, along with similar behaviour from those in my network means there’s less and less being shared, and I might not even see it when it is as I’m often not on the platform to see it.
- Reading global news and current affairs has been difficult for some years now. Trying to navigate the blatant lies, fake news, click-bait stories, and general toxicity of social media mean it’s really difficult to keep up to date without losing my sanity.
I’ve opened the comments feature on this post so you, the reader, can let me know how you’re handling this type of situation and how you find the stories, articles, blogs, news, etc. Do you use a curation tool, if so which one? More importantly, how do you use it? What kind of alerts have you set up, and what kind of accounts do you follow (especially for unbias global and national news)?
Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash
David, it’s completely understandable that you’re feeling overwhelmed and disheartened by the state of social media and the difficulty in finding relevant information. It’s great that you’re reaching out for help and advice. One suggestion is to try exploring different platforms or even old-fashioned methods such as subscribing to newsletters, RSS feeds, or podcasts related to your interests. Additionally, consider joining online communities or groups that share your passions and have discussions and share resources. Remember, it’s important to prioritize your mental health and well-being and not feel obligated to engage with platforms that make you feel stressed or unhappy. Best of luck on your search for a new source of inspiration and knowledge!
Thanks Mike. Ultimately, my use of social platforms has diminished as there are fewer people posting anything that interests me.