I can relate to this so much! In fact, one of my drafts is a piece almost exactly like this. I have also experienced the temptations, and the inevitable let-downs. I have also overspent on courses. I have come to similar conclusions as you. I finally figured out that I do actually have some power over the algorithm and I can choose to engage with what I want and have learned to better tune out the rest.
I was trapped in a food fear crunchy digital wormhole that took me years to climb out of. The online world seems so perfect and polished on the outside, but it’s dark and unfulfilling while you’re inside. A small pause can lift the curtain and reveal the truth underneath. Great writing!
A lot of good people who wrote and debunked all the fear mongering nonsense I was reading, like Dr Idz, Conspirituality, and FoodScienceBabe, in a way I could understand. Also the pandemic showed me how crazy some of the influencers I was following were once they started getting all antivax, that really helped snap me out of it!
Well I used to give trust based on numbers - followers and likes felt like authority. But folks like the ones I mentioned helped me learn how to actually interpret scientific studies: peer reviewed, dosage, control groups, large pool of participants, etc. If you’re not careful, a poorly done study can be passed off as real research. A tale as old as time!
A recent one that comes to mind was the Aspartame research that concluded it was a carcinogen. It was all over the news and so many articles were written about how “Diet Coke is Killing You”… the underlying truth is you’d have to drink hundreds of diet cokes a day for years to get the dosage needed for aspartame to be concerning.
For some time now, I only allow myself a few minutes a day on Facebook - to sort through notifications, but no scrolling through my newsfeed. It's the only other social media account I have - no Insta, no TikTok, nothing that will even remotely tempt me to constantly be consumed by others' lives instead of enjoying my own.
I do have/like Pinterest (I have 1 follower there) to make collages and I am on Substack more often, but what I consume here really has substance... And here, I'm also inspired to create!
What inspires me here is the level of creativity! I feel like most humans, when given the chance, are capable of and find joy in creating something with artistic value. Art seems to be what makes people thrive and what they need to feel truly fulfilled...
Sure, I would love to collaborate on a post in the near future! I'm open to ideas!
I can relate to this so much! In fact, one of my drafts is a piece almost exactly like this. I have also experienced the temptations, and the inevitable let-downs. I have also overspent on courses. I have come to similar conclusions as you. I finally figured out that I do actually have some power over the algorithm and I can choose to engage with what I want and have learned to better tune out the rest.
That’s remarkable!
So thrilled you’ve come to realise this for yourself.
What do you do now, with your found power?
I was trapped in a food fear crunchy digital wormhole that took me years to climb out of. The online world seems so perfect and polished on the outside, but it’s dark and unfulfilling while you’re inside. A small pause can lift the curtain and reveal the truth underneath. Great writing!
How did you climb out of the crunchy digital wormhole?
A lot of good people who wrote and debunked all the fear mongering nonsense I was reading, like Dr Idz, Conspirituality, and FoodScienceBabe, in a way I could understand. Also the pandemic showed me how crazy some of the influencers I was following were once they started getting all antivax, that really helped snap me out of it!
I never thought of it like that.
Thank you for taking the time to share this with me!
What makes you trust certain people over others?
Well I used to give trust based on numbers - followers and likes felt like authority. But folks like the ones I mentioned helped me learn how to actually interpret scientific studies: peer reviewed, dosage, control groups, large pool of participants, etc. If you’re not careful, a poorly done study can be passed off as real research. A tale as old as time!
I used to base authority on numbers, then something changed., but I don’t know what.
When you mentioned a poorly done study can pass off as real research, is there a specific example you’re thinking of?
A recent one that comes to mind was the Aspartame research that concluded it was a carcinogen. It was all over the news and so many articles were written about how “Diet Coke is Killing You”… the underlying truth is you’d have to drink hundreds of diet cokes a day for years to get the dosage needed for aspartame to be concerning.
For some time now, I only allow myself a few minutes a day on Facebook - to sort through notifications, but no scrolling through my newsfeed. It's the only other social media account I have - no Insta, no TikTok, nothing that will even remotely tempt me to constantly be consumed by others' lives instead of enjoying my own.
I do have/like Pinterest (I have 1 follower there) to make collages and I am on Substack more often, but what I consume here really has substance... And here, I'm also inspired to create!
What inspires you?
Would you like to work on an article together, based off of what inspires you?
What inspires me here is the level of creativity! I feel like most humans, when given the chance, are capable of and find joy in creating something with artistic value. Art seems to be what makes people thrive and what they need to feel truly fulfilled...
Sure, I would love to collaborate on a post in the near future! I'm open to ideas!