Post B2Wk6wonzt8zSRTHXs by sheislaurence@mastodon.social
(DIR) More posts by sheislaurence@mastodon.social
(DIR) Post #B2Wk6wonzt8zSRTHXs by sheislaurence@mastodon.social
2026-01-21T22:30:41Z
1 likes, 1 repeats
🧵1/7: A #longthread on #bluesky / #bridge / #echochambers.Following @Gargron's decision to opt out of the Bluesky bridge, most likely driven by the platform's official verification of the #ICE account, and one last pointless interaction with a Bluesky account holder,I decided to follow suit & sever my own Bluesky ties. I realised the idea of echo chambers was probably a myth invented by the giant #socialmedia platforms to prevent users from fleeing. Let me explain. https://mastodon.social/@Gargron/115912977448929626
(DIR) Post #B2Wk728UE8rFwviZPs by sheislaurence@mastodon.social
2026-01-21T22:31:26Z
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🧵2/7: I adopted @bsky.brid.gy early on, when I was still recovering from having left #Twitter & was concerned about critical mass & engagement.Now? There's only 2 #bluesky accounts I'd miss & stand to lose a handful of followers. Nothing that justifies staying. The nail in the coffin was a recent interaction with a Bluesky user who identified as " a bleeding-heart #liberal and compulsive speculator rambling about saving the world" ...
(DIR) Post #B2Wk77LQrRBU6WoTmy by sheislaurence@mastodon.social
2026-01-21T22:32:09Z
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🧵3/7:... who chose #Bluesky because "it is a #community who care about others with a lot of #cooperative energy". When I suggested Bluesky might not quite be that, he answered he was "not concerned with ownership structures" and didn't "see validating a government department as facilitating #fascism." And that's when it hit me: must I really contend with that level of reflection?Staying bridged to Bluesky is often seen as an effort to step out of the #echochamber & reaching across the aisle.
(DIR) Post #B2Wk7Cgsz6JegVtBQG by sheislaurence@mastodon.social
2026-01-21T22:32:42Z
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🧵4/7: But who said that a personal #socialmedia account was the only route to engage with people "who don't agree with you"?Before the age of either #Mastodon or #Bluesky or even #Facebook, I only had to contend with the odd #racist cabbie or the random drunk City banker lecturing me on Malthus. Now they are IN MY FUCKING FACE every day, several times a day. Since when has that become the norm?I'll tell you about another place where this wasn't the norm...
(DIR) Post #B2Wk7I1d9OsfEIdJx2 by sheislaurence@mastodon.social
2026-01-21T22:33:18Z
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🧵5/7: ...#Home. As far as I am aware, nobody is expecting me to open my door to #nazis, genocidal #zionists, #antivaxxers, nor invite #obscurantism champions for dinner to ensure they can share "their side of the story". So why should I invite them in the palm of my hand in every room in my home? The reason why #polarisation has exploded isn't because we don't engage on #socialmedia, it's BECAUSE we engage with #algorithms that favour conflict ("it bleeds, it leads" https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01538-4)
(DIR) Post #B2Wk7NDrpKdjLhOfDc by sheislaurence@mastodon.social
2026-01-21T22:33:48Z
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🧵6/7: If the #home remained the sanctuary it is supposed to be, if we didn't willingly accept an invasion of our private spaces by #techbros, we would have more energy to engage #IRL as we used to, using the physical third spaces that wouldn't have been commodified by #billionaires, so we could keep on meeting a #diversity of people.
(DIR) Post #B2Wk7S95WWmucKCPxo by sheislaurence@mastodon.social
2026-01-21T22:34:18Z
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🧵7/7: So no, I am not afraid of being stuck in an #echochamber by choosing to cut my #bluesky bridge and choosing to live exclusively in the #fediverse. If/when I decide to do an undercover stint, I'll do it at work or as part of a #campaigning project (where I maintain observation accounts on major platforms). In the meantime, I'll reclaim dominion over my #home, my brain & my #mentalhealth.