Finally…A Place
For years, I have been among the millions of people who have adopted social media as a integral part of my daily life. Like many, I wake up in the morning checking statuses. I check my DM’s and scroll timelines. At random points throughout the day (way more than I should), I pick up my phone to see what’s happening. If I’m honest, I don’t even get much enjoyment out of it anymore. It almost feels like an obligatory practice, at this point, and truthfully, it’s unhealthy. Social media is anything, but social. I was riding the train here in D.C. the other day and watched sadly as nearly every person seemed completely unaware of the others around them. Everyone was occupied with swiping the screens on their smartphones.
That sight took my mind back to when I would ride the “L” in Chicago (2006-2010). I remember noticing three things about the people in Chicago when I first moved there for graduate school: (1) everyone had a bag. Whether it was backpack, a sling bag, messenger or grocery bag… EVERYone had a bag! (2) Most people had a cup… like a reusable coffee mug. I didn’t at first, but I felt out of place, so I quickly got one…lol! (3) Almost everyone on the train was reading a book… like a paperback book or, at minimum, a newspaper. I remember this so vividly because there was also this weekly newspaper called, The Chicago Reader and I always thought it would be cool to write a feature story by the same title and submit it to the paper for publication. I never did. But I also never forgot what it looked like… felt like… to notice all the readers and to think about the titles of their books and wonder why they chose the book and what it meant about their personality. I can’t believe how much things have changed it what feels like a really short period of time.
On Monday, October 4, 2021, Facebook and all of its apps crashed. Any normal person or society, would think the crashing of social media platform would be no big deal. Turns out that few of us are normal these days. The crash served up a catastrophic blow to people all over the world. Facebook also owns, Instagram and WhatsApp. So, in an instant social entrepreneurs, influencers, and small web-based businesses lost the ability to generate income. They were unable to contact their customers or sell their products because the suite of apps has become the foundation of business for so many. WhatsApp is a tool used by many to communicate with international customers, suppliers, etc.
For casual users, the sudden and extended loss of the apps caused equal distress. Suddenly, we lost our ability to get play-by-play updates on our Facebook Friends. We didn’t know what to do with those moments when we picked up our phone for no reason and found that the apps we instinctively go to were not available to us. The crash of Facebook and its subsidiaries dominated local and national news for more than 8 hours. I was amazed at the way in which ONE company, has changed the culture of our society in such an unhealthy way…seemingly without any of us being aware or perhaps aware, but without any desire to make a change.
That day , and in the days to follow, I decided that it was time for me to leave the Facebook platform. All I had to do was delete my account and remove the app from my devices right? WRONG. I mean, I could have done that, but the sheer anxiety associated with the thought was powerful. How would I keep up with people? What about the audience I’ve built over the years? How would I share photos and videos and thoughts? Where would people find me?! It wasn’t long before I realized the insanity of this line of questioning. Where had people found me before Facebook? How had I kept up with people before? Why did the size of my audience matter and had I really done work and posted content worthy of the attention of the 5k people who were my “friends?” As I forced myself to grapple with these questions, I realized that some of my loved ones would probably appreciate a phone call or a tangible hand-written letter and that there are plenty of other ways for me to be found. More importantly, I realized that I am indeed creating content worth of an audience and, because of that, I owe it to them and to myself to place my content on a platform that is not controlled by a corporation or that promotes unhealthy or unethical practices.
So…. this is that place. This is my little piece of the inter-webs. The place where I will share my thoughts and musings. My academic work and my work as an artist. My inspirational work and my work that reminds us all that I’m just a regular being like everyone else, dealing with life as its dealt to me. It’s the place where you can meet me and know that what you see, hear or read is authentically me. I’m in no competition here. Finally…. a place…. a place where I can just be. Welcome!