I never understood the allure of Twitter. Ever. I would create an account, never use it, delete it, forget it.
So when I got an invite to be an early adopter of Bluesky, which was built – to an extent – to compete with it, I didn’t really give it an ounce of thought.
As I’ve gotten more serious about writing on a regular basis, I decided to give it a spin, as I haven’t heard anything particularly positive about Twitter/X in at least a decade. So here’s how it went:
Upon signing up, I wasn’t greeted with the usual prompt to follow a bunch of celebrities, which was refreshing. I immediately wrote a very succinct post, to test out if anyone would actually see it. I wasn’t optimistic; but, 3,000+ likes later, I see I was wrong.
Within a day or two, I had over a 1,000 followers. This wasn’t what I was expecting, but I certainly welcomed it. People commented on my posts, asked about my interests, and engaged in conversation. This was something different, for once.
The other redeeming quality is its lack of advertising, which makes it feel a little more inclusive and fun. But, I couldn’t help but notice that there was a current flowing through the posts that grabbed my attention.
In the week since the US Presidential Election, I had purposely distanced myself from social media, hoping to gain some clarity and find some common ground with the remaining half of the country. This sort of optimism has since faded away, as the reality of things is starting to finally kick in.
Nevertheless, I have trouble reckoning with echo chambers. I don’t like to fall down rabbit holes, and I most definitely don’t subscribe to conspiracy theories. There is no shortage of any of these things on Bluesky, and that troubles me.
This not to say that I’m against everything I’m seeing – there are a great deal of like-minded individuals just trying to feel their way around a different social network. Myself included.
But the vibes are often drowned out by angry progressives seeking to shut out their right-wing counterparts. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t think this is a healthy way to live.
This is not an easy time to be living in the United States. I never thought I would have to say this for an additional 4 years, but it is true.
And I can’t help but wonder if the good people on Bluesky are being played by the exact same bad actors that ruined Twitter – foreign bot farms posing as hyper-progressive Americans. As I’ve scrolled through the accounts of my thousand-plus followers, some eerily common themes have emerged in many bios. When I see this, I know something is amiss.
On the other hand, maybe this is some sort of blindspot; for half of the week, I convinced myself that I was living in a liberal bubble, and the second half was spent wondering if I’m in a bubble of willful ignorance.
Either way, I’ll keep engaging with whoever most of these people are – because many of them seem like genuine, authentic humans with thoughts, ideas, and dreams.
And finally, it seems like this is a great place for writers and creatives. For now. It’s kind of nice, even when it’s not. See you there.
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