Over on my paid subscriber posts I have started (at last!) to get into the lessons I have learned since starting my second life as a poet. I have lots to share and as soon as I think I have finished a post I realise there is more to say than I thought. I am getting into a practice of saving ideas to explore properly instead of slapping some afterthoughts on to the internet. The Internet has enough afterthoughts.
I don’t want to lock away all my words behind paywall, but the big revelations will be going there. Offshoots of themes I am thinking about in a more general way will stay out here in the open. Hopefully they will find people who read on and want to join the revelations!
Today the offshoot subject is social media. It’s a meaty subject and I have learned so much more about it than I could have imagined by ‘becoming a poet’. I’ll save the revelations for a longer post but will share a ‘penny drop’ moment I had when I was listening to this podcast earlier:
The always brilliantly insightful Rob Auton said something about not making memories whilst scrolling on your phone. And I scroll so much I have written dozens of poems about the time I have lost there. But that that permanence of ‘a moment’ has rarely come from something I have seen online. But the apps take pieces of me from what I see and then tries to sell it back to me as I literally lose myself to the scroll.
This is a list of things my phone has tried to sell slash tell me over the last few days.
Somatic workouts to release trauma (kind of like it packed away) and look sensational afterwards. Can you still look sensational without processing trauma ? I don’t want to find out.
Make up for older eyes making me overthink my crows feet which I otherwise would not even remember I have without staring fairly closely in the mirror.
That really colourfully wrapped loo roll. There’s simply too much in one purchase to handle. Unless I have a significant bout of ‘tummy trouble’’.
Face Yoga. Which makes me think my algorithm has judged my jawline and makes me not want to post any more photos or videos.
A free workbook download from a coach who wants me to be clear on what I want for myself this year. Same girl. But every morning.
Amicable divorce services. Very amazing as I’m not even married. HA! Stupid algorithms!! What the hell do you know ?! N O T H I N G!!!
Skin picking distraction jewellery. How would an app know I might need this? I didn’t know it was ‘a thing’ (both picking and a ring).
Seeking volunteers to take part in a programme to ditch social media for a month. I do need this. I will studiously ignore.
An ad for ear loops I’ve already bought after seeing the same ad. ALGORITHM FAIL. I won’t buy a niche thing twice.
A one million pound house draw which I am immediately suspicious of so won’t enter. My big imaginary house will be paid for with a source of income I am yet to imagine and access.
So after actively noticing the ads that ‘they’ want to keep me on my phone for I feel altogether judged. I am so pleased though, when I find examples of when the algorithm doesn’t get me right, AT ALL. It shows it isn’t reading all my data, all my cues. I still have a bit of ‘mystique’ , which is all I want
And I KNOW no algorithm could segue into a Mis-Teeq reference and be proud of themselves about it.