On Toasts and Trending
I recently read the wonderful "Don't Get Hung-up on Trending" by Becky. It addressed something that I've been thinking about for a while with my blog and the Discovery feed, and I wanted to add some thoughts of my own.
I mentioned in my post "On Being More Social" that I used to blog mainly with toasts disabled so my posts wouldn't show up on the Discovery feed. I did this for a couple of reasons.
First, I felt that I was writing mostly for myself, and my posts were centered on my personal life and things I enjoy. A lot of the posts I was seeing on the feed were about blogging or webweaving or tech or things like that, and I was over here writing about point-and-click adventure games and concerts I attended. I didn't think anyone on Bear would be interested in my online journal (even though I like reading about other bloggers' interests and life adventures).
Second, the Discovery feed had one of the things I was trying to get away from on social media: "likes" and the idea of "trending." I was tired of connecting my personal value with a number or with how visible I was in online spaces. I wanted a place of my own to practice web design and do the thing I love most (writing), and while I did want to meet like-minded people, I couldn't help but have a desire to hide because social media had worn me down.
I'm still not really sure how I feel about the toasts feature or having likes on blog posts in general. The Discovery feed has undoubtedly been a nice way to discover fellow bloggers whose writing I really enjoy, but on the other hand, having a like button is giving me that same niggling feeling that Twitter or Instagram did, that my worth correlates to a number ticking up.
And, to be brutally honest, I've run across some trending posts on the Discovery feed that I'd rather not have seen. I like that we have the ability to hide certain blogs, at least.
Regardless, Becky's post gave me comfort and reminded me that a like is nothing but a click of a button. What truly matters are the connections we make through being our genuine selves, and realizing that as long as we continue doing what makes us happy while keeping in mind that we are part of a community, other people will be there for it.
If you're watching what's happening in Minneapolis right now with horror and disgust, as you should be, please consider donating to one of the following organizations that are in the thick of it:
Midwest Immigration Bond Fund
National Immigration Law Center
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
North Star Health Collective
Leo Towing for ICE Victims
Women's Foundation of Minnesota