It’s really weird that I come across this right as my Twitter use and enjoyment has started to increase. I go through phases with Twitter, months pass without even opening the app until I hit an upswing (which is right now) and check in a handful of times a day. And I must say, I’m finding it more enjoyable than ever before.
Maybe it’s got more to do with how carefully we curate our content? I think you alluded to this a little, but I’ve become epically selfish and ruthless with who I follow and what comes into my feed. Basically, anything that bores or depresses me is out. I still get bad news from the world, of course, but it comes filtered through the retweets and commentary of people that bring value (in my eyes). I’m far more likely to find myself in a self-loathing hate-filled Internet black hole trawling through Facebook, or Instagram.
My opinion here is, of course, coloured by the lens of gratitude for having been in a crisis situation where Twitter was the most immediate source of news and advice. I doubt I will ever delete my Twitter account, purely as a safeguard in the event that it happens again. While Facebook was filled with “RIPs” and shared articles from hours ago, and Instagram was filled with patriotic flags and heartbreak emojis, Twitter was the only platform that was providing me minute-by-minute updates on whether it was safe to travel on public transport, what areas of the city were shut down, whether police would let me leave my home… I can’t overstate how much that helped me.
Thank you for giving me another perspective on it, though. Lots for me to chew over… 140-character-sized chunks. ;)
