This Flanagan piece makes a good companion to Alan Jacobs’, Breaking Bread With the Dead: A reader’s guide to a more tranquil mind. I have that out to reread.
It really feels like Caitlin Flanagan is speaking directly to me, and I think that many others in the Readup community will feel the same way.
I read her words and now I better understand myself, my world, my problems. It's not that I need or want to join a rage fest about Twitter. It's that I need to feel less alone. I need to know that I'm not the only one fighting this fight.
Twitter did something that I would not have thought possible: It stole reading from me.
Great writing, but the argument is flawed and counterproductive.
She never establishes that her "annoying habit" was an addiction, and I feel like it does a disservice to people struggling with actual addition to suggest that she does.
Even worse, blaming it on "what those bastards in Silicon Valley had done to me" is ridiculous. It seems to suggest that she (and anyone else who's said something dumb on Twitter and had it blow up on them) is somehow absolved of responsibility because... what? It was the fault of a 30-something product manager in SF?! Give me a break.
Some of my thinking here informed by a wonderful podcast on the topic of technology "addiction" -- worth a listen.
Jesus Christ! I just wanted to shit-talk Naomi Wolf and make leprechaun jokes. How did we get into these deep waters?
Because that’s where Twitter lives.
Twitter is a parasite that burrows deep into your brain, training you to respond to the constant social feedback of likes and retweets. That takes only a week or two. Human psychology is pathetically simple to manipulate. Once you’re hooked, the parasite becomes your master, and it changes the way you think. Even now, I’m dopesick, dying to go back.
This read creates gratitude for never getting pulled into Twitter. Facebook and Instagram were my addictions and feels good to be free.
I don’t get tired of reading various personal struggles with social media. Interesting that Caitlin emphasizes how her way of thinking changed, and how thinking in shareable bits changed her writing & reading too.
Also fun that Patrick prescribes essays to his mom!
This Flanagan piece makes a good companion to Alan Jacobs’, Breaking Bread With the Dead: A reader’s guide to a more tranquil mind. I have that out to reread.
This comment was deleted on 7/11/2021
My god. This is exceptional.
It really feels like Caitlin Flanagan is speaking directly to me, and I think that many others in the Readup community will feel the same way.
I read her words and now I better understand myself, my world, my problems. It's not that I need or want to join a rage fest about Twitter. It's that I need to feel less alone. I need to know that I'm not the only one fighting this fight.
Great writing, but the argument is flawed and counterproductive.
She never establishes that her "annoying habit" was an addiction, and I feel like it does a disservice to people struggling with actual addition to suggest that she does.
Even worse, blaming it on "what those bastards in Silicon Valley had done to me" is ridiculous. It seems to suggest that she (and anyone else who's said something dumb on Twitter and had it blow up on them) is somehow absolved of responsibility because... what? It was the fault of a 30-something product manager in SF?! Give me a break.
Some of my thinking here informed by a wonderful podcast on the topic of technology "addiction" -- worth a listen.
https://www.jasonfeifer.com/episode/you-are-not-addicted-to-technology/
Yessss. I'm stoked to have the alt perspective here. Will def listen to that podcast!
This read creates gratitude for never getting pulled into Twitter. Facebook and Instagram were my addictions and feels good to be free.
Palpably expressive read.
I don’t get tired of reading various personal struggles with social media. Interesting that Caitlin emphasizes how her way of thinking changed, and how thinking in shareable bits changed her writing & reading too.
Also fun that Patrick prescribes essays to his mom!
This made me feel the addiction which was very uncomfortable! An unsettled mind is a road to hell.