Premise 2: Computers hate that, and the nature of social media in particular is that of creating a single consistent identity. A terrifying Zuckerbergian ideal that you have a single consistent and whole "true self" that is equivalent to your public persona.
-
-
Show this thread
-
Premise 3: This is then exacerbated by audience. A public figure is cocreated by their audience and their expectations - they learn what creates good responses, and what creates bad ones. The audience learns how they will behave, and stabilises them in that role.
Show this thread -
THEREFORE, a twitter account is necessarily a relatively stable context in which for you to be. It may take a while to grow into it, but over time you wear a groove. You create the Twitter account, and you become the Twitter account whether you like it or not.
Show this thread -
This is not intrinsically harmful, but particularly in 2020 or for anyone who is otherwise socially isolated, Twitter ends up fairly socially and psychologically load-bearing. It becomes a major mode of expression where the things you express there can flourish disproportionately
Show this thread -
But this creates a stuck state. You lose your natural fluidity. People were not meant to be consistent - it stifles parts of yourself that need expressing because you only express the bits your audience wants. The rest goes into your shadow, where it festers.
Show this thread -
As a result, tweeting without an alt is a form of psychological self-harm, and I cannot encourage it.
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
So is your stable role on Twitter different from any other context that pulls you towards a consistent role? It sounds like you're saying there's something about Twitter that's different from other audiences that keep your role stable, but I'm not sure what?
-
Larger audience, everything is in public and comes with an intrinsic ability to strip your content of context, no ability to mode shift by taking the role off. It's not intrinsically different from any other public presence, but it's a bit sticker.
- Show replies
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.