A Twitter hiatus
What’s a blog if not a place for musing…?
For some time last year, I tried to engage as little as possible on Twitter, relying instead on posting blog links there. I tried to continually delete my tweets over time. I assiduously avoided reading or engaging in replies, which I’ve often found were some of the worst parts of Twitter. Increasingly over the last few months, I engaged more in the face of extensive election litigation. I also found a lot—a lot—of false election law claims arising on Twitter, particularly by defenders of President Donald Trump’s conspiracies about the election.
My goal at the beginning of the election season was to really taper back my Twitter use after the convening of the Electoral College January 6. But I ended up doing it a few hours earlier than I expected.
I am increasingly frustrated with the echo chambers of social media, the “virality” of false claims, the addiction of “likes” and new followers, the time spent on trivialities, and more.
If it sounds familiar, it should, because I said similar things three years ago. Womp womp.
Cutting back on my use of Twitter (and other digital sources, to be frank) improved my spiritual life, my scholarship, my recreational reading, and my exercise habits. What a terribly sad statement about my own self control….
When I’d cut back before, I’d still push this blog’s content to Twitter. I won’t even do that anymore.
I tried to cut back, but I think I’ll take the rest of the year off. Or so I hope. I felt acutely aware of it as I felt ill watching rioters storm the Capitol. Much of this arose because of social media communities spreading falsehoods. I don’t know that I can think of much good regulation of Twitter that can take place, either public or private. But I do know that I can remove myself from assisting its growth.
Maybe I’ll return. Maybe things will improve. Maybe I’m overreacting based on a moment in time. But I think it’s worth stepping away for a bit. The print edition of the Wall Street Journal each morning, and my Feedly RSS subscriptions, will, I hope, be adequate without, shall we say, “doomscrolling.” Ostensibly, I like to think it’s more about Twitter. But, really, on reflection, it’s more about me.
This post has been updated.