I’m thinking of this microblog as an experiment in anti-social media. Why “anti-social media”?
I’ve adopted the form of a social media feed to share “bits” of what I do, including discussion of research-in-progress, supervised research, and teaching, with the occasional commentary. The timeline format is a convenient way to post updates live and in retrospect.
Adopting the form of a social media timeline does not require that we accept the surveillance and algorithmic manipulation associated with social media platforms. I’m simulating the familiar functionality of social media and aiming to poke fun at this functionality as empty simulations of connection that we can replace.
I’ve long enjoyed the work of Ben Grosser, who has created browser extensions (like this one) that “demetricate” social media platforms by removing the like and share counts from social media platforms. Using one of Ben’s “demetricator” tools is a reminder of the hold these numbers have on our thinking, feelings, and impulses.
Here, the metrics are retained but the numbers roll randomly like a slot machine. The numbers are disconnected from platform, memory and manipulation. The metrics count nothing and are counted by no one.
One way to resist the out-sized and harmful role that big tech have in our lives, media and politics is to play with the absurdity of social media platforms and point out that there are other ways to create, share, connect, and organise.
That’s a couple of thoughts on what I’m doing here. Let’s see how it goes …
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