Good luck taking a break from the coke-loving stripper girlfriend with borderline personality disorder that is Twitter!
Just remember: no matter what happens with her car, kids, mother or probation officer in the days and weeks ahead you can’t swoop in and make things right.
I quit at some point in late 2021 or early 22...I still have a little twitter brain that makes me miserable especially when I hear dumb political stuff. But my life is like 90% better. I know Jesse is gonna feel the same!
If I might try to summarize the thesis, "social networks" (of college friends with whom you share cat and baby pictures) devolved into "social media" (where you shout at the Algorithm and try to be/not be the main character every day) sometime in the 2010ish timeframe, and now everything is loud, dumb, and terrible. Unplug it.
I'm probably an outlier among BARPod subscribers in that I gave up my smart phone and don't use any social media. The change in both my quality of life and mental state is huge. I hope you experience some of that, even as your work might make disconnecting difficult.
I do sometimes wonder why I listen so faithfully to a podcast that defaults to discussing twitter weirdness, but it's a testament to you and Katie that I do.
I'm not nearly as online as J and K, which is one reason why I'm a faithful listener. I like to know what's worth paying attention to while maintaining a buffer between me and the toxic goo.
Same. I have no Twitter or Facebook and just a barely used Instagram account that I use to find recipes and art and sometimes baby care tips. Listening to Jesse and Katie makes me feel a little more in the know without needing to get dirty myself.
I started with flip phones from advice I found on the dumbphones reddit, but migrated pretty quickly to Light Phone 2. Nothing but phone calls, text, podcasts, and 1GB of mp3s. Took the sim card out of my iphone and put it in the light phone 2 and I don't think I'll ever go back.
One of my family members has been happy with the Internet-unfriendly Nuu F4L, though it definitely isn't the latest or greatest in Luddite telephony. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/nuu-f4l.
For some reason many of these flip phones aren't able to handle group text messages, which is kind of a hassle. The light phone handles group messages fine, but there's no internet, at all. I've embraced this life even though it means I'm sometimes walking many blocks feeling sure I remember a post office in the area, only to realize it was one street over.
Also the light phone is smaller than flip phones, and I love that.
Hey did you ever have any issues with the light phone? I had hardware problems and was able to get a full refund. But I also had problems texting on the tiny screen and really have to have maps, uber, etc. AND I lost it so much because of how tiny it is! Just trying to get some perspective because I would like to go back.
Texting is a little easier when you realize you have to aim a little above the letter, I think because of the shape of a finger tip. Also there is a directions tool now. I'm guessing it's a little slow but I don't know for sure as I haven't loaded it on my phone.
I would not imagine apps like Uber are in the cards for this phone. I have never been in the habit of using them. I live in NYC and luckily you can get anywhere by subway and bus. In a pinch I'd find a cab or call for one.
Your comment reinforces my notion that there's a big unmet demand for dumber phones. I was most reluctant to lose photographs, but I made the best of it and bought a cool camera that fits in my pocket. But if apple had offered a dumb phone with imessages and a camera, that was small-ish, I would have probably just got that at the time. As it happened I spent 2-3 months reading about this stuff, trying two flip phones, and eventually settling on the light phone.
Yeah I think a huge problem is everyone seems to have different needs and no single manufacturer is gonna be able to handle that without making a smart phone haha. I pretty much did the same as you, trying the flip phone and researching and all, and most of what came back was that you had to change your life in a very specific way. I do plan to start driving (partly thanks to Jesse's story about planes!) so that will reduce my dependence on smartphones somewhat. But I also like not having to carry a radio with me on walks and being able to check up on my bank account in public.
I def don't have the capital to get in the game so for now I'm settling on the iphone mini with multiple screen time blockers on.
Every day for years now we've all seen the "social media causes mental illness" headlines and everyone just keeps scrolling.
Are we going to do this forever?
I got off of Twitter over a year ago and feel good about it. I don't feel as good as I did in the period ten years ago after getting rid of Facebook but before getting onto Twitter. Because Twitter is still everywhere. In addition to still constantly having unhinged Tweets shown to me one way or another, it's very clear that the people running the show in the media and politics are still addled by it. It's bonkers that outside of a handful of conservative politicians who maybe aren't even operating in good faith, no one in a position of power is doing anything about this? Why is no one fixing this? Everyone has lost their minds.
If you ever feel tempted to login again, let me know, and I’ll be happy to yell at you for literally murdering children and being worse than Hitler, Stalin, and J. K. Rowling combined.
I think the mental health gains will make up for any platform losses, honestly. I will genuinely miss your contributions to Twitter from a spectator's perspective, because you're one of the only people who can argue effectively with the losers on there--but the (many) contributions you make elsewhere are more worth your time, and frankly, they're also *more worth our time* as fans! I think your disconnecting from it will lead to more, and better, work than you could have done while still plugged in, and I look forward to reading it / listening to it / beaming it into my skull *anywhere but on Twitter*.
Just don't waste any time engaging with Amanda Marcotte. She has been the dumbest person on the internet for 15 straight years. Everyone knows this. It isn't worth it.
I was going to chime in to say it's a lot longer than that, but then realized I had her confused with Ana Marie Cox -- who actually at this point probably isn't even the fifth dumbest person on the Internet since we've been gifted Taylor Lorenz and Aaron Rupar.
I've been hoping you would do this. I understand why you get sucked into these Twitter battles, but that's because I've been following your work for 6 years and am already convinced of the quality of your journalism and your personal integrity.
If I had no context, though, your Twitter presence would be a big turnoff. The intensity of your engagement isn't helpful or illuminating. I'm sure that if I knew nothing else about you, it would color my view of any articles with your byline. I'm sure it's a mixed bag, professionally.
I've been meaning to send an email for years telling you how much of an impact your work has had on my life--and I will, one of these days. It's your in-depth reporting that has made a difference for me. I read all of your articles, but mostly ignore your Twitter and podcast (I find the culture war stuff initially diverting, but ultimately distracting & depressing). I bought your book and recently started supporting your Substack.
Most importantly, if you come up with other ways for your audience to support your more in-depth reporting, I'm in.
Jordan Peterson is a smart guy. He is a psychologist, knowledgeable about a lot of topics. So, why is HE also an ass on Twitter?
Twitter promotes the worst possible responses. Rather than a thoughtful consideration of the issue, Twitter promotes a short message in which a quick reaction to some idiocy from some moron is the name of the game.
Now that Twitter has been Musk-ified, it promotes even more toxic behavior, since fewer tweets are censored.
I swear I asked this question a few days ago when I made the mistake of 'popping' on to Twitter to see what was going on. His work, pre 2019ish, is brilliant. Maps of Meaning is fascinating. I actually googled "What happened to Jordan Peterson" and this came up. I also watched the video of Ken Wilber talking about him.
When Sam Harris quit, his reasons made sense to me and then he seemed happy to be off the platform. So, I also deactivated my account. It has been several months now and I don’t miss it, BUT my Substack subscriptions have expanded and I rely on these threads to fill the void. It can still cause some preoccupation but isn’t nearly as toxic.
For the past few years I've been giving up Twitter, social media, etc for Lent and for some reason this year it's felt more liberating than ever. To the point where I'm thinking of just giving up Twitter altogether. Plus I'm just way more productive in every aspect of life when I'm not thinking about the stupid shit being posted on Twitter.
I deleted my Twitter account in 2018. But I've browsed and lurked on the site for years.
That's another key problem: my stupid addiction got "smart" and tried other ways to give me a fix.
Don't do what I did. When you quit Twitter, quit it for good. Don't lurk. Don't stalk. Just walk away and don't look back at the explosion in the background.
Good luck taking a break from the coke-loving stripper girlfriend with borderline personality disorder that is Twitter!
Just remember: no matter what happens with her car, kids, mother or probation officer in the days and weeks ahead you can’t swoop in and make things right.
Stay strong.
"I left Twitter and then my quality of life got worse", said no one ever.
That is so true
I quit at some point in late 2021 or early 22...I still have a little twitter brain that makes me miserable especially when I hear dumb political stuff. But my life is like 90% better. I know Jesse is gonna feel the same!
I recommend anyone and everyone read Ian Bogost's "The Age of Social Media Is Ending", which ran in the Atlantic a few months ago,
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/11/twitter-facebook-social-media-decline/672074/
If I might try to summarize the thesis, "social networks" (of college friends with whom you share cat and baby pictures) devolved into "social media" (where you shout at the Algorithm and try to be/not be the main character every day) sometime in the 2010ish timeframe, and now everything is loud, dumb, and terrible. Unplug it.
This was great commentary.
I'm probably an outlier among BARPod subscribers in that I gave up my smart phone and don't use any social media. The change in both my quality of life and mental state is huge. I hope you experience some of that, even as your work might make disconnecting difficult.
I do sometimes wonder why I listen so faithfully to a podcast that defaults to discussing twitter weirdness, but it's a testament to you and Katie that I do.
I'm not nearly as online as J and K, which is one reason why I'm a faithful listener. I like to know what's worth paying attention to while maintaining a buffer between me and the toxic goo.
Same. I have no Twitter or Facebook and just a barely used Instagram account that I use to find recipes and art and sometimes baby care tips. Listening to Jesse and Katie makes me feel a little more in the know without needing to get dirty myself.
The older I get, the happier I am to outsource dirty work like monitoring Twitter and house cleaning.
I hope you’re not taking any of Jesse and Katie’s child rearing advice.
You are allowed to have a smart phone and only use it for 1) telephony 2) photos 3) text and email 4) GPS 5) settling disputes in bar trivia
I started with flip phones from advice I found on the dumbphones reddit, but migrated pretty quickly to Light Phone 2. Nothing but phone calls, text, podcasts, and 1GB of mp3s. Took the sim card out of my iphone and put it in the light phone 2 and I don't think I'll ever go back.
It was Saul Goodman who used the burner phones. Walter White had a second phone for Jesse, Gus, and Saul.
One of my family members has been happy with the Internet-unfriendly Nuu F4L, though it definitely isn't the latest or greatest in Luddite telephony. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/nuu-f4l.
For some reason many of these flip phones aren't able to handle group text messages, which is kind of a hassle. The light phone handles group messages fine, but there's no internet, at all. I've embraced this life even though it means I'm sometimes walking many blocks feeling sure I remember a post office in the area, only to realize it was one street over.
Also the light phone is smaller than flip phones, and I love that.
Hey did you ever have any issues with the light phone? I had hardware problems and was able to get a full refund. But I also had problems texting on the tiny screen and really have to have maps, uber, etc. AND I lost it so much because of how tiny it is! Just trying to get some perspective because I would like to go back.
Texting is a little easier when you realize you have to aim a little above the letter, I think because of the shape of a finger tip. Also there is a directions tool now. I'm guessing it's a little slow but I don't know for sure as I haven't loaded it on my phone.
I would not imagine apps like Uber are in the cards for this phone. I have never been in the habit of using them. I live in NYC and luckily you can get anywhere by subway and bus. In a pinch I'd find a cab or call for one.
Your comment reinforces my notion that there's a big unmet demand for dumber phones. I was most reluctant to lose photographs, but I made the best of it and bought a cool camera that fits in my pocket. But if apple had offered a dumb phone with imessages and a camera, that was small-ish, I would have probably just got that at the time. As it happened I spent 2-3 months reading about this stuff, trying two flip phones, and eventually settling on the light phone.
Thank you :)
Yeah I think a huge problem is everyone seems to have different needs and no single manufacturer is gonna be able to handle that without making a smart phone haha. I pretty much did the same as you, trying the flip phone and researching and all, and most of what came back was that you had to change your life in a very specific way. I do plan to start driving (partly thanks to Jesse's story about planes!) so that will reduce my dependence on smartphones somewhat. But I also like not having to carry a radio with me on walks and being able to check up on my bank account in public.
I def don't have the capital to get in the game so for now I'm settling on the iphone mini with multiple screen time blockers on.
Every day for years now we've all seen the "social media causes mental illness" headlines and everyone just keeps scrolling.
Are we going to do this forever?
I got off of Twitter over a year ago and feel good about it. I don't feel as good as I did in the period ten years ago after getting rid of Facebook but before getting onto Twitter. Because Twitter is still everywhere. In addition to still constantly having unhinged Tweets shown to me one way or another, it's very clear that the people running the show in the media and politics are still addled by it. It's bonkers that outside of a handful of conservative politicians who maybe aren't even operating in good faith, no one in a position of power is doing anything about this? Why is no one fixing this? Everyone has lost their minds.
If you ever feel tempted to login again, let me know, and I’ll be happy to yell at you for literally murdering children and being worse than Hitler, Stalin, and J. K. Rowling combined.
I think the mental health gains will make up for any platform losses, honestly. I will genuinely miss your contributions to Twitter from a spectator's perspective, because you're one of the only people who can argue effectively with the losers on there--but the (many) contributions you make elsewhere are more worth your time, and frankly, they're also *more worth our time* as fans! I think your disconnecting from it will lead to more, and better, work than you could have done while still plugged in, and I look forward to reading it / listening to it / beaming it into my skull *anywhere but on Twitter*.
Just don't waste any time engaging with Amanda Marcotte. She has been the dumbest person on the internet for 15 straight years. Everyone knows this. It isn't worth it.
I was going to chime in to say it's a lot longer than that, but then realized I had her confused with Ana Marie Cox -- who actually at this point probably isn't even the fifth dumbest person on the Internet since we've been gifted Taylor Lorenz and Aaron Rupar.
I've been hoping you would do this. I understand why you get sucked into these Twitter battles, but that's because I've been following your work for 6 years and am already convinced of the quality of your journalism and your personal integrity.
If I had no context, though, your Twitter presence would be a big turnoff. The intensity of your engagement isn't helpful or illuminating. I'm sure that if I knew nothing else about you, it would color my view of any articles with your byline. I'm sure it's a mixed bag, professionally.
I've been meaning to send an email for years telling you how much of an impact your work has had on my life--and I will, one of these days. It's your in-depth reporting that has made a difference for me. I read all of your articles, but mostly ignore your Twitter and podcast (I find the culture war stuff initially diverting, but ultimately distracting & depressing). I bought your book and recently started supporting your Substack.
Most importantly, if you come up with other ways for your audience to support your more in-depth reporting, I'm in.
Rereading this, I realize it comes across as critical when I meant it to be supportive.
What I meant to convey: "Wise call. I hope this helps. Your work is important."
Jordan Peterson is a smart guy. He is a psychologist, knowledgeable about a lot of topics. So, why is HE also an ass on Twitter?
Twitter promotes the worst possible responses. Rather than a thoughtful consideration of the issue, Twitter promotes a short message in which a quick reaction to some idiocy from some moron is the name of the game.
Now that Twitter has been Musk-ified, it promotes even more toxic behavior, since fewer tweets are censored.
I swear I asked this question a few days ago when I made the mistake of 'popping' on to Twitter to see what was going on. His work, pre 2019ish, is brilliant. Maps of Meaning is fascinating. I actually googled "What happened to Jordan Peterson" and this came up. I also watched the video of Ken Wilber talking about him.
https://beiner.substack.com/p/what-happened-to-jordan-peterson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-asnBMz4VvU
When Sam Harris quit, his reasons made sense to me and then he seemed happy to be off the platform. So, I also deactivated my account. It has been several months now and I don’t miss it, BUT my Substack subscriptions have expanded and I rely on these threads to fill the void. It can still cause some preoccupation but isn’t nearly as toxic.
To make sure you stay off Twitter, read Jonathan Haidt and then imagine you're a prepubescent girl.
Um, somehow that came out sounding sketchy...
For the past few years I've been giving up Twitter, social media, etc for Lent and for some reason this year it's felt more liberating than ever. To the point where I'm thinking of just giving up Twitter altogether. Plus I'm just way more productive in every aspect of life when I'm not thinking about the stupid shit being posted on Twitter.
Makes sense. And Substack is a far better medium for ideas, analysis, and discussion.
No one on his deathbed, reflecting back on his life, will ever say "I wish I'd spent more time on Twitter."
I deleted my Twitter account in 2018. But I've browsed and lurked on the site for years.
That's another key problem: my stupid addiction got "smart" and tried other ways to give me a fix.
Don't do what I did. When you quit Twitter, quit it for good. Don't lurk. Don't stalk. Just walk away and don't look back at the explosion in the background.
It’s not hard