I’m an 8 on Enneagram. I’m solo poly. I’m introverted. I guess that you could say that my personal freedom is incredibly important to me and is inextricable from my personality.
After I get the prologue to my book done and have whatever concluding materials I need, I’ve been thinking about making a TikTok account.
I don’t love the platform. I think that the algorithms promote you staying on it for hours. I also think that it preys on young girls to compare themselves to bots and folks who are way more than airbrushed. Some kids use it to roast and even bully each other when kids post themselves dancing–they’ll make fun of the person who’s danced.
Now, it’s in the news and arguments are being addressed via the Supreme Court. Opponents say that China uses it to spy on the activities of Americans. They also say that you can’t find information about Israel or Tibet on it. I’m no software engineer, but think that sounds plausible.
What is your usage of social media? Do you read the news on newspaper websites or in an old school paper? What do you think about with respect to platforms gathering our data and infringing on our privacy? Finally, are you on TikTok?
Return 
I don’t do social media at all, just blogging here and on Substack. And YouTube videos. Long ago I had a Facebook page, but I deleted it over a decade ago. Never had Twitter or any other strictly social media. Just doesn’t interest me. 🤷🏼♂️
Beyond not interesting, is there anything that you think is potentially troubling about a platform?
I do wonder about what social media does to the minds and lives of the young. As with most powerful tools, the interweb is a two-edged sword. Tremendous potential for education and to connect people, but it also amplifies fringe groups and generates a lot of bad thinking (envy, FOMO, greed, etc).
Some of it’s worse than that. Given that I provide psychological services to youth and respond to crises, I could fill a book.
I think it also impacts adults too. Being judicious and moderate with it, is a good idea.
No to tik tok. Yes to reading newspapers and other news sources online. Blog and insta are my only social media. As to the question, my daughter was against the ban on tik tok, but then she read an op Ed piece that asked how would you feel in Russia owned NBC. Changed her perspective a bit
Hahahaha.
Yes, fascism and censorship are a real thing.
I think that I’ll have to use it and will likely blog (here) about what algorithms send me.
My daughter thinks it’s very dangerous because the way it’s set up is to keep switching up your emotional response, so you’re afraid to turn away. She got rid of it, more because it’s a time suck, but she said if she had kids ds she would not let them use it
Your daughter is correct. No one under 25 should use it. I have seen horrible things at work.
No to tik tok as well. Facebook is really my only social media outlet. I do have an insta page for my jewelry as well as a Facebook page for that. I have an Etsy page as well but that’s the extent of it. I try to not take in any news these days because it’s so horrific and I feel that media is just trying to one up themselves in new horrors every day that I just don’t want to take that in.
I use Instagram, but won’t delete my FB for two reasons:
1. It has historical things about my son on it.
2. There are a couple of groups that aren’t on Instagram
I’m not sure that the horrors are new. There have been civil and political wars in different countries in Africa and the Mideast for many years. Genocide isn’t a new thing either.