Charlotte's Blog
A Much Smaller Internet, One Month On
It has now been just about one month since I deleted my accounts on chatty-type social media (i.e. Bluesky and Mastodon), which I can say has given me what I was asking for: a quieter, smaller, slower internet experience.
It has mostly been a very good thing. I haven't been getting myself so worked up about the various global horrors that I don't have any control over and, frankly, don't waste time refreshing a quiet feed in hopes that I can read more hashtag-content. Overall, removing myself from these services has quieted and made space in my mind in a similar way (but on a much lower scale) that beginning HRT did.
One thing that I expected - and has come to pass - is that "quieter, smaller, slower internet experience" is just that: quieter, smaller, and slower. You get used to the spectacle of social media and when you back away, come to realize just how much of the "rest of the internet" has died on the vine over the last 10-15 years.
Blogs seem mostly silent and when they're not, posts are so often just written in reference to social media events. Like longer posts aimed at the same audience. It feels like every discussion board has been whittled down to the "most active dozen" without the necessary renewal. You also quickly realize that this applies to the news. For example, CBC's reporting across the country is surprisingly light much of the time.
It's worth reminding myself, however, that this was the whole point and that just trying to get similar amounts of content, but from more than one website is just another on-ramp to feeling the same. I don't know what good leaving social media would do if I just were to replace it with an RSS reader and discussion boards.
Looking at it all, the one thing I miss for real continues to be the pals I had made. Especially the wonderful local Ottawa folks I was talking with via my char.lottiephoto account on Bluesky. I can still be reached at lottiejoy.14 on Signal or lottiejoy on Discord.
