Twitter

I've taken a break from Twitter (and Instagram) for the month of February. Seeing how I'm half-way done with the month I thought I'd share my reflections so far.

First it should be noted that I use Twitter as a tool to get information and ideas. I never used it for documenting the minutia of my life or to argue politics (or anything for that matter). I don't understand people who would waste their lives doing that.

I'm also not on Twitter to gain followers or for the retweets (although there's no denying that there is serotonin rush that accompanies a thought being acknowledged by respected others). My Dunbar's Number for following people on Twitter is 300. I find anything higher than that and my time-line gets unweildly. Honestly don't get people who follows thousands of accounts. How do they keep up with the posts? Or is it just a ploy to get "follow-backs?"

My primary focus on being on Twitter is to stay informed and to learn. It's that simple. For the past 15-days I've probably been much less informed. But is that so bad? Everything on social media is polluted by politics. Everything.

I will probably return to Twitter when the month's up but I may be much quicker with the mute button than ever before. I may also cut the number of accounts I follow to correspondingly cut down on my time on Twitter.  Halfway through the month and I'm not missing Twitter. There's no denying that Twitter has in many ways become a sewer (some of it by design - like why do they keep pushing WHO Director Tedros  Adhanom as someone I should follow?).  

But why I'll return comes back to the Shane Parrish quote, "I've learned more on Twitter than in any classroom." As long as teachers like Parrish, Naval Ravikant and others are on Twitter I'll probably persevere. If they abandon Twitter - I'll probably not be far behind.