Too Many Apps

I think I went viral and missed it... including other musings brought to you by my Twitter attachment

When Elon Musk purchased Twitter, I mourned.

Seriously, I need you to understand how much I enjoy Twitter. I come from the era of LiveJournal, Myspace, and Tumblr (with full-fledged adult content, might I add)—microblogging sites that were low-pressure and didn’t require much - just thoughts, vibes, and random photos from your Cybershot.

the early 2000's... you had to be there! (photos loving taken from Pinterest)

Twitter came out in March 2006. I was 18, could sign my own permission slips, and college was right around the corner. I dreamed of becoming the black Carrie Bradshaw (yes, I was very into Sex and the City). I envisioned myself wandering around the streets of downtown Detroit (when I thought I would be attending Wayne State) and having eccentric columns that allowed me to meet eccentric people and an eccentric lifestyle would be had.

When I entered freshman year, there weren’t too many classes that focused on social media studies. It was still a new thing, and I don’t recall “viral” being a coined term. However, I knew it would be pivotal to the evolution of writing (as I may have mentioned in past posts, I always maintained a blog), leading me to my study in Public Communications/Public Relations. This was my way of exploring a little bit of everything (which is very much my personality type): journalism, public relations, media management, technical writing, and the rise of social media.

With a limit of 140 characters, Twitter allowed me to keep it short, simple, and effective. And those #hashtag conversations just hit different.

…but then a shift happened. Twitter became heavy. There was a shift in the matrix that included spam bots (usually promoting an OnlyFans account), hate-induced essays (due to the introduction of Twitlonger), an influx of videos that didn’t have trigger warnings, and the rise of racist Twitter. It was messy, it was chaotic, and I took a break.

During this break, I accumulated a lot of apps.

I mean a lot.

During the black exodus of Twitter (most of us took our tails right on back because the grass was not greener, might I add), I tried Spill, Bluesky, Hive, Mastadon, Lemon8, and Threads. I even made a new account on Tumblr (nothing came of it). OH! And I almost forgot about this one: during my downtime in 2020 and the height of the pandemic, I tried to create my own version of Black Twitter called Blk.Network… baby… an entire dud!

We can talk about my poor execution with pretty good ideas later… *cries in Pisces*

But friend, forget my home screen being an entire mess and the notifications… let’s not even talk about it because those are not the things that brought me to the conclusion that I am drowning in apps; it was this:

Y’all, did I miss my little viral moment on Lemon8?! Yes, yes, I did because I have no idea when this happened. And I actually like this app… but the problem is overconsumption and stimulation.

Here’s the takeaway: My healing side understands that I gravitate towards social media because I am constantly looking for relatable communities. I realize that during my peak developmental years, when I took an interest in age-appropriate activities, I was often criticized for not pursuing something deemed more worthwhile because I was an “old soul with potential” (whatever that means).

This is not to say I didn’t have friends, but I guess I could be considered a popular loner. I was everywhere, all at once, but also nowhere at the same time.

Spaces such as Tumblr, LiveJournal, and Twitter allowed me to express myself authentically, and I didn’t mind if it fell on deaf ears. Since Twitter is the only app out of the ones mentioned in this letter that I’m consistent on, I do know it’s because I have no desire or urge to go viral there.

It’s the space where I vibe with my tribe. It’s the space that introduced me to Substack. It’s the space that reconnected me with gaming. It’s the space that provides me with endless writing prompts on humanity (if we can still call it that). I still look forward to a less problematic owner or even an adequate replacement… but until then, #BlackTwitter will remain one of my favorite places for interaction, news, and a little chaos every now and again.

Believe it or not… I have not watched the documentary on Hulu yet but after this post… I just might.

So now I wonder: Is there any app that you are attached to? … Before you say no, really think about it. I thought the same thing and proceeded to write a whole think piece. I would love to hear your thoughts and what you use the platform for in the comments!

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