Move over, celebrity gossip–social media and billionaires are the tea spills we’re interested in: ?️??
Is Twitter losing its ability to support its own wings?
Will Zuck’s Meta return from the void as Musk’s “rescue” project flails?
If they both burned, could our society ever go back to pre-social media ways of life?
…And could that actually be a good thing?
In this article:
The Breakup
Pre-October ‘22, despite its other functions, Twitter was helpful to almost anyone almost anywhere. In a man-made crisis or event of a natural disaster, emergency management officials utilized the platform to quickly inform affected people of issues, such as safety measures to take during acts of public danger or evacuation instructions. It remains used for these public service announcements, however, it’s becoming less reliable for emergency management.
Since Musk’s takeover, several problems have the company bailing water.
“He [Musk] believes in the illusion of what a strong leader is in his mind—a strong leader is one who essentially says, ‘This is what we’re gonna do’ and forces people to do it. That’s actually more weak leadership than strong leadership. The damage he has done is very unlikely to be undone. And even if he seemed to turn around and show a different side of himself, nobody would trust it.”
– William Kahn, Department Chair of Management & Organizations, Boston University
With a lack of employed engineers and problem-solvers, the app is glitchy. Rushed projects like Twitter Blue opened the door to fraudulent accounts and diluting credentials continues to see brain-drain from the platform. Rising hate-speech and erratic business decisions keeps big-name advertisers’ campaigns far away from the platform.
I'm officially leaving Twitter. Screw this, man. This is too much for even me to handle. pic.twitter.com/B91Ge5M9xU
— Mike27356894 (@Mike27356894) April 1, 2023
https://twitter.com/Kimtaeh92498620/status/1642908901023830017
Essentially, those who have been involved with this relationship are over their Twitter-pation with the exposure of this toxic side of things, and they are packed and leaving.
A great internet culture breakup is happening.
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The Rebound
Some are turning to old flames like YouTube or continue to mind their own over at Instagram, but what about those poor platformless souls? There may be an answer: Meta’s up-and-coming project is getting ready to swoop in and sweep online socialites off their feet. And it’s a smart move, too; capitalizing on the Twitter mess might be just what Meta needs to get back in the game.
Codenamed P92, text-based just like Twitter, this upcoming competitor is looking to seize the chance to become the new main digital squeeze of influencers and followers. (Is anyone taking bets on what they’re gunna call it? $20 bucks says it’ll be a single word, odds being either 1 or 3 syllables.)
The word on the stweet (ha) is that P92 is still a work-in-progress, according to one of Moneycontrol’s sources on the project’s development team. The plan is to make it interoperable with Mastodon, another young Twitter competitor that saw a significant rise in use after Musk’s Twitter takeover.
Meta’s P92 is expected to be similar to Twitter in how posts will allow comments and other attachments. One thing that makes these different from Twitter is that they are decentralized. What this means is that decentralized platform users will be able to join separate servers and broadcast posts to people on other servers. Similar to Reddit with servers/communities, these types of communities would have their own rules and moderators. In theory, mods and add-on features created by third-parties could be a part of the platform’s future.
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The Reevaluation
There’s no going back to before once you’ve tasted it, the sweet nectar of social media drama. However, just like during a breakup, taking a step back with this shakeup to re-evaluate your own needs and habits can provide clarity. As humans, we’re wired to be tuned in to connect with each other as social beings, and that part isn’t problematic. Usually.
The dopamine hits that one can experience while engaging in social media are super strong and may affect you more than you realize. Did you know that there’s such a thing as social media addiction? ? Neuroscientists have compared interacting with social media to the neural circuitry of gambling and even similar brain chemical reactions as seen with cocaine.
“There’s growing evidence to suggest that some individuals can develop a dependency on social media that’s not unlike an addiction to alcohol or drugs. Their overdependence on social media has led to symptoms typically associated with substance-use disorder.”
– Paul G. Simeone, Ph.D., Vice President & Medical Director of Behavioral Health at Lee Health
It’s easy to get sucked in. For anyone wondering where they fall in their dedication to giving and getting digital likes, you can check-in here: Are You Addicted to Social Media?
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The Digital Detox
Either way, a digital detox can be a refreshing way to recharge and enjoy unplugging every once in a while. At Fullmoon, we believe in healthy practices and that there’s an art to contentment. With the digital world being our bread and butter, learning when to put down the devices is more than essential to the wellbeing of our minds, bodies, and souls. Without those boundaries, we risk lowered productivity, burnout, and more that we’re simply not willing to sacrifice in life. We’re not perfect, but we’re working on it. ?
So before you download whatever Meta ends up naming their new social media app, take your next free time and do something that makes you feel good in the real world.
As for me, I’m gunna go outside right now, pull off my socks, stick my toes in the grass, and soak up the sun.
Just like Avril.
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