I just noticed, as I was titling this entry, that this is my 500th post. That's quite a few. My first post was in summer 2010, so I've almost been going for 10 years, which you can actually deduce pretty easily: I post once a week, so 50 weeks (a bit less than one year) times 10 years, gets you to 500 post. I don't have anything special planned, so I'll just carry on as usual.
I don't spend much time on social media. I've basically given up on Twitter entirely, and when I check Facebook, which I typically do a few times a day, it's usually only a minute or two to see if I have any messages or alerts. There are some people/groups with which Facebook is my main form of correspondence, so I use it for that. I'll also browse through feed from time to time, but I've been making a concerted effort to limit how much I do that.
There are two main reasons I mostly stay off social media: 1) It's a time suck; 2) it gives me anxiety. I hate getting caught up in comment wars, and they can be hard to avoid if you post a lot. Sometimes you'll just be involved in what you think is a normal back-and-forth, and then all of the sudden you're pissed off, tapping out a 3,000-word screed on your phone to somebody you haven't seen since middle school. Who needs that in their life?
Even when exchanges are pleasant they can make me anxious. I play Words With Friends quite a bit, and I started doing their Lighting Round game, where you get matched up with a few other random people and you each take turns playing on different boards until somebody gets 750 points. A game only takesr a minute or two, and afterward it posts the scores of everybody on each team. I'm usually the top score and sometimes by a lot. (My crowning achievement is scoring 337 points, when the other team only scored 307 combined.) Twice now after I finished a Lightning Round game, I got challenged one-on-one by somebody on my team. Previously, I had only played one-on-one with people I know IRL, but I figured -- why not? -- and accepted.
Well, I'll tell you why not: Because then you have to interact online with somebody you don't know for days. It's one thing if you hop on, play a few strangers, and hop off. It's another to have your Word with Friends feed be your dad, your good friend, and Deanna, some rando with funky sunglasses in their profile pic. It feels weird. Maybe it's just me, maybe it's a generational thing, I dunno.
The first person who challenged me thankfully didn't send me any messages. But the second person -- a woman between the ages of 20 and 40, judging by the profile pick -- just started chatting away right off the bat. You can mute people on Words with Friends, but that felt rude, so I started responding, and the conversation went something like this.
Her: Good morning!!!!
Me: Hi
Her: Thanks for playing Word with me!
Me: Sure thing
Her: Where you playing from?
Me: DC area
Her: Cool! I'm in sunny California.
At this point, I didn't really want to continue a conversation at this pace, so I set down my phone for a while. Plus, in Words with Friends it's not uncommon to go a day or two without making a move or messaging your opponent. But then I started feeling anxious knowing I had this random person waiting for me to respond. It was really bothering me for some reason, and I couldn't work, so I got back on the Word with Friends app. She had sent another message.
Her: Are you on Hangout?
Me: I don't know what that is
Her: It's an app where you can chat more easily. Can you download it?
Me: Nah... I'm not really into stuff like that
Her: It's just an app like Word
Me: No thanks.
Her: Okay... I just really want to get to know you better.
Me (to the Word with Friends app): [Block User]
WWF: [Blocking this user will end and delete this game. It will also make it so that this user will not be able to see you or contact you on Word with Friends anymore. Do you wish to continue?]
Me: [Yes]
Problem solved! The way I saw it there were two possibilities: a) This woman has some serious stalker potential (or isn't a woman at all), in which case, I want no part of it; b) this woman is just super friendly and uses apps like Words with Friends to meet people, because that's how people meet now, in which case, I also want no part of it.
One weird thing: Although I felt rude muting her, I didn't feel rude blocking her altogether. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.
Alright, I think that's all for today. I want to watch an episode of Better Call Saul before bed. It's been a little slow at times this season, but it's still really good. I'm continually amazed with how good Rhea Seehorn is it. Bob Odenkirk too, but everybody already knows about him.
Until next time...
I don't spend much time on social media. I've basically given up on Twitter entirely, and when I check Facebook, which I typically do a few times a day, it's usually only a minute or two to see if I have any messages or alerts. There are some people/groups with which Facebook is my main form of correspondence, so I use it for that. I'll also browse through feed from time to time, but I've been making a concerted effort to limit how much I do that.
There are two main reasons I mostly stay off social media: 1) It's a time suck; 2) it gives me anxiety. I hate getting caught up in comment wars, and they can be hard to avoid if you post a lot. Sometimes you'll just be involved in what you think is a normal back-and-forth, and then all of the sudden you're pissed off, tapping out a 3,000-word screed on your phone to somebody you haven't seen since middle school. Who needs that in their life?
Even when exchanges are pleasant they can make me anxious. I play Words With Friends quite a bit, and I started doing their Lighting Round game, where you get matched up with a few other random people and you each take turns playing on different boards until somebody gets 750 points. A game only takesr a minute or two, and afterward it posts the scores of everybody on each team. I'm usually the top score and sometimes by a lot. (My crowning achievement is scoring 337 points, when the other team only scored 307 combined.) Twice now after I finished a Lightning Round game, I got challenged one-on-one by somebody on my team. Previously, I had only played one-on-one with people I know IRL, but I figured -- why not? -- and accepted.
Well, I'll tell you why not: Because then you have to interact online with somebody you don't know for days. It's one thing if you hop on, play a few strangers, and hop off. It's another to have your Word with Friends feed be your dad, your good friend, and Deanna, some rando with funky sunglasses in their profile pic. It feels weird. Maybe it's just me, maybe it's a generational thing, I dunno.
The first person who challenged me thankfully didn't send me any messages. But the second person -- a woman between the ages of 20 and 40, judging by the profile pick -- just started chatting away right off the bat. You can mute people on Words with Friends, but that felt rude, so I started responding, and the conversation went something like this.
Her: Good morning!!!!
Me: Hi
Her: Thanks for playing Word with me!
Me: Sure thing
Her: Where you playing from?
Me: DC area
Her: Cool! I'm in sunny California.
At this point, I didn't really want to continue a conversation at this pace, so I set down my phone for a while. Plus, in Words with Friends it's not uncommon to go a day or two without making a move or messaging your opponent. But then I started feeling anxious knowing I had this random person waiting for me to respond. It was really bothering me for some reason, and I couldn't work, so I got back on the Word with Friends app. She had sent another message.
Her: Are you on Hangout?
Me: I don't know what that is
Her: It's an app where you can chat more easily. Can you download it?
Me: Nah... I'm not really into stuff like that
Her: It's just an app like Word
Me: No thanks.
Her: Okay... I just really want to get to know you better.
Me (to the Word with Friends app): [Block User]
WWF: [Blocking this user will end and delete this game. It will also make it so that this user will not be able to see you or contact you on Word with Friends anymore. Do you wish to continue?]
Me: [Yes]
Problem solved! The way I saw it there were two possibilities: a) This woman has some serious stalker potential (or isn't a woman at all), in which case, I want no part of it; b) this woman is just super friendly and uses apps like Words with Friends to meet people, because that's how people meet now, in which case, I also want no part of it.
One weird thing: Although I felt rude muting her, I didn't feel rude blocking her altogether. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.
Alright, I think that's all for today. I want to watch an episode of Better Call Saul before bed. It's been a little slow at times this season, but it's still really good. I'm continually amazed with how good Rhea Seehorn is it. Bob Odenkirk too, but everybody already knows about him.
Until next time...
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