In the past, to improve yourself, you had to go out into the world to begin your hero`s journey – or at least read a George Eliot novel. Nowadays, you can simply sign up as HotRiotGrrl52031 and start a modern knight quest. First, Twitter allows you to observe psychological baits, thickets, and traps that tend to trap others. Watching others navigate the platform is a bit like watching the protagonist of The Pilgrim`s Progress: will he escape the quagmire of Despond, the hill of furious quarrels with strangers or the pit of humble boasting? It is a difficult day when a graduate student realizes this truth so far in his academic career and even in his life. Cynicism and sarcasm are the inevitable result as the candidate fulminates on Twitter: “I`m smart and I have something important to say, fuck, and people need to listen to me!” Very true (I`m also a non-Twitterati, but I`m always afraid he`ll go into the tank), and Kathleen appears here (unherd) as a reliable bait to read articles with her name on it. His following description is as simple as it is painfully accurate: If you want to examine digital spaces (“bubbles” and “spheres” are excellent metaphors here), you may want to deal with Peter Sloterdijk`s various writings on this topic. And the subject (medium :-)) of `virtual reality`?. Well, the “go-to” would of course be Baudrillard. From the point of view of these two cultural critics, I am fascinated by the length of the predictions of the different .. “Symptoms” . Current social media that we are currently suffering from have been accurately described. And the fact that Mr. Fry (an artist for whom I have a big weakness, by the way) left Twitter?.

Will this have the same upsetting effect on “the world as we know it” as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell left Spotify some time ago (you`re all aware of this particular global event, of course), I wonder? Quite excellent by Kathleen (again!) I`m not a Twitterer myself, but I recognize the hodgepodge of humanity she presents to us. I use other social media sites that are specifically tailored to my interests, and what she describes plays out on just about everyone. In fact, Twitter is probably just the most universal version of the greatest mirror held up to humanity in our history. Skeptical. Can`t convince me to join Twitter. To paraphrase Abe, Twitter is large-scale idiocy, of the people, the people and the people. Also a great try. As a non-tweeter, I`m just amazed at its popularity, but now I finally know why! Not being on Twitter must be as exclusive as a hereditary title of nobility? There`s no doubt that your time was better spent reading a book, especially Middlemarch, than going on Twitter.

Someone once suggested to me that a graduate student will have more casual readers (maybe 30?} reading their 280-character thoughts on Twitter than serious people are interested in reading that candidate`s thesis. The thesis that projects the candidate`s full self-esteem as he finishes decades in school. Twitter is undoubtedly a cesspool – but one I like to dive into from time to time to argue over one or two. Usually it`s about politics or culture wars – participation requires thick skin, because at some point you will be terribly insulted and perhaps threatened. I have a strict policy – insults lead to an immediate ban, such ignorant people do not deserve my debate time. Like all social media, Twitter is what you make of it – many people out there never get involved in the hustle and bustle of political debate and undoubtedly avoid the insults and threats mentioned above. I don`t spend a lot of time on it – I don`t allow myself more than 30 minutes and it`s not every day. I follow what Musk does with interest — and I nibble on popcorn as I watch lefties throw their toys out of the stroller. In short, the inflation of professional degrees and certifications, coupled with coddling, contributes to narcissism on Twitter. If Grice had been on Twitter, he would certainly have revised his theory. For many users, information sharing is just the accidental pretext for more important things like self-aggrandizement, covert attacks on imaginary enemies, and social power consolidation. In terms of psychological richness, watching Twitter features a number of fascinating characters that can rival anything Dickens, Austen or Eliot might offer.

There are abusers who encourage victimization; Grifter`s advertising blogs on the fight against grifting; fragile souls that are grandiose ; cruel people who preach kindness. There`s also an absolute tsunami of empty sentimentality about other people`s pets, partners, and children – dead, almost dead or just plain cute. The Taoist challenge for the viewer is simply to perceive these things as they are, rather than getting emotionally or intentionally entangled in one of them. Try again. Fail again. Better to fail. It is also useless to judge anyone by what are, after all, only human qualities to which we are almost all subjected. And it`s difficult too. An interesting point of view of the author on the usefulness of Twitter. One of the great blessings of my life is that I`ve never been tempted to use social media (unless Unherd`s comments section counts as social media). By the way, am I the only one seeing an ad for “The Owo Residences” on this article and other Unherds? I have seen this advertisement in the last two days. I`m a paid subscriber and I thought one of the benefits of paying for access is that you won`t be hit by advertising.

Anonymity is the recipe for reciting the weakness of wickedness. On the other hand, the blue tick could be the primitive precursor of human telepathy. Well, who knows where this rabbit hole will lead humanity. I guess we just have to leave that to Alice and the Twits. Meanwhile, in the Financial Times, Janan Ganesh explained “the real reason for leaving Twitter”: it is too full of low-status losers who are ironic and twee. Over time, he argued, exposure to this contagious atmosphere tends to influence characters, even powerful people, depriving them of their aspirations and making them appear diminished in the eyes of viewers.