On social media, follow people who are doing the real work
If you can't explain what good they do or how reading their opinions helps you, swap out those voices.
Imani Gandy has a thread on Bluesky that speaks to me. A couple posts from it:
She's pointing out that there are some popular people on social media who only ever say things like: "Trump is bad. Do you agree? Follow me if you agree."
They're "the same people from 2016–2020 who are moving the same way." They're "already rich." Perhaps their "only goal is to increase the size of their bank account." They "have no positive effect on politics. None."
How would we know? Well, we might ask: What have they done to help anyone?
The point is just that if you've been listening to the same anti-Trump voices for eight or nine years, and if you can't explain what good those people have done in the world or how reading their opinions every day will help you in the year to come, you can simply swap out those voices in your feed. You don't have to let them be fed to you.
If you're on Bluesky, use the Bluesky Directory to search "starter packs" for the sort of people you'd like to find. Starter packs are lists of people you might like to follow. Think of a keyword to challenge yourself, like "abolition," and search for it. blueskydirectory.com/starter-packs
I searched the Bluesky Directory just now and followed these people who are new to me:
- Diego Alcalá Laboy diegoalcalapr.bsky.social
- Jawanza James Williams jawanza.bsky.social
- Mónica Medina momedinamunoz.bsky.social
- Center for Racial and Disability Justice nlawcrdj.bsky.social
I was already following:
- Imani Gandy angryblacklady.bsky.social
