First Blog Post
So I'm sick of the internet.
I'm sick of the constant ads, clickbait, and rage-bait.
The internet has been my home-away-from-home for pretty much my whole life. I have met friends in instagram comment sections, played games with people from other continents, and sparred with strangers over things that will never matter in the real world. But over the past year or so I have found that the toxicity of the internet has turned up to an 11. Everything is dripping with irony and with AI you can't tell what's real anymore. (This ofc has always been the case but lying is more accessible than ever in a way.) So in Jan '24 I got off of TikTok for alot of reasons, one being I could'nt name one reason that it still benfited my life. It just made me angry. And this year I have tried a few times to get off of instagram, but unfortunately it has become too pivtol in how I interact with people on a daily basis. I would lose alot more than just memes.
I've been using Tumblr more often, its UI is calmer that TT or Insta, and it's honestly harder to navigate, meaning I'm spending less time on it. I have more control of my algorithm and bc many people use it separatly from other forms of media, the content I see can be free from politics if I choose it to be. Also, Tumblr is inherently cringe. I don't have to pretend I don't like fanfiction of Lois and Superman owning a coffeeshop together, or that don't I ship robot and victorian-era gentleman for a niche D&D show (Torsewell you forever have my heart). However, because I've made so many connections through Tumblr I kinda get freaked out about posting anything too personal. Like 30 people (which is not alot I am aware) follow me for my D20 content so I don't want to post like "Hey my depression is really kicking my ass this week and I blame Gov. Abbott". I can't post that shit on instagram bc everyone and their dog will see it, I'm already off TT (I would'nt post it there either), there is no way in hell I'm getting on Twitter, and I'm abstaining from Bluesky for my own health.
"Whats the solution?" you ask. Well, I could, 1. Shut Up, 2. Talk to my friends, or 3. Make a blog.
Option One won't work because once I have a thought it rattles in my brain until I say it and/or write it down. Option Two works most of the time, but I want to talk about more than just my life. I want to share my writing, orginize my digital thoughts, and have somewhat of a digital scapebook. And Option Three? Well I obviously went with that one.
Recently, I've been inspired by blogs of the past. Sites like Neo-cities, self-hosted sites, MySpace, and old forums really have shown me that the internet does'nt have to be this post-ironic hellscape. It can be used once again as a form of expression and a place to display your identity. Honestly I've been jealous of Carrie Bradshaw (SATC) and her column. She has a place to relate her life to the people of New York, having her own story to be looking glass for an entire generation of working women. (+ Bigs going to Paris)
I want to use this blog as a mesuem of sorts to archive my past work and have a place to put new ones. I don't expect really anyone to read this and that's kinda the goal. I want to express myself semi-freely in the medium I best know, the internet. My hope for this blog is to update it regularly to have have a record to look back on. This may not be case due to my willingness to abandon projects. But here's to hoping.
~B