✍🏽March Writing Workshop is live! Grab your spot here (Sunday, March 27, 10am - 12pm PST). Our February cohort had less people than usual and it was so cozy and special that I’ve reduced the overall capacity so please be sure to sign up in advance.
Questions? Ask. I’m here and I’d love to hear from you.
Hi everyone, happy to be with you all for this week’s edition of Just Another Friday in the Apocalypse.
In this week’s essay, I wrote about media saturation and taking an unexpected, indefinite break from social media. Then, in a delightful turn of events that before might have surprised me but these days elicited more of an “well, of course,” missives from two newsletters I follow shared this week on the very same subject (I’ll link below). “Media Saturation” had an almost 70% open rate (which you may or may not know is HIGH for newsletter opens) and based on all these factors, yeah, it’s clear that this—our habits online—is straightforward for none of us.
Global news made it’s way to me yesterday anyway, as it always does, and I’m reminding myself that I can trust that the things I need to know will come to me whether I’m on Instagram or not.
How are y’all hanging in? I hope you are striking the balance between staying connected to what’s happening AND caring for your mental health. Remember: it’s OK to step away from the non-stop news ticker. Indeed, we are more impactful and helpful when we are acting from a place of fortification, rather than depletion.
What’s everyone up to this weekend? How are you caring for yourself? For me, it’s rest, reading, squeezing beloved friends, and digging into a new writing group.
Sending all my good everything always,
xxoo dani
📖Read: Sharing a few reads this week, all to do with Le Thème De La Semaine:
This came out from The Small Bow right after my essay dropped and several of y’all forwarded it to me. GREAT MINDS, all of you.
Another this week from The Small Bow that I’m sharing specifically because it includes a shorty-short essay from Jia Tolentino about getting off Twitter, and who doesn’t love a shorty-short from Jia?
Then there was another email from another great mind, Jane Clapp where she shared an excerpt from an academic paper she’s writing called “Social Media and the Collective Unconscious: Archetypal Algorithms and the Colonization of the Psyche” (hoooieeee) but I couldn’t figure out how to link it so I’m sharing a link to something she linked to (oh, internet) from the Canadian Journal of Philosophy called Algorithms, Manipulation, and Democracy. Rabbit holes still abound, with or without the social medias.
👀Watch: I never would have thought that the sound of a mummy’s recreated voice (wtf, science) would sum up the current mood in such a precise and accurate way.
🎧Listen: OK since I’m not media-ing so much right now this week I’m sharing another playlist called “Heartstrings” which is good for crying or daydreaming or maybe even taking off your clothes with yourself or another (!? )or maybe some weird combo platter of all three at once. Who’s to say! As ever, I trust that you know what’s best for you.
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Algorithms are the devil. I have a teenage daughter who I am convinced loves to spout conservative bullsh*t at me as her way of rebelling. (Maybe because it's the only way she can with liberal parents?! i.e. If she told us she was trans we’d say, “We love you! You do you!” (for example) But she really gets our goat when she shares conservative views and says she agrees with them. Anyway. She had this conservative Catholic boyfriend for like 5 minutes who turned her on to some podcast and now the algorithm just keeps suggesting more and more crazy conservative crap. It’s SOOOOOOO MADDENING!!!!
Feeling all the feels today and missing photos of Tater in the sun, but always happy to read your words. Thanks for reminding us to look after ourselves!
Thank you, Dani, for your so topical and swell essay. The news and social media bloat is real, and I say this as a confirmed news junkie (still) after 30+ years as a newspaper (back when they were a thing) journalist. In the past couple of weeks I have been finding the balance between staying informed and passing on the glut of garbage that tricks us into thinking it's information. Anyway, yes, it's a practice worth grasping. Feeling just a bit better for it.
Algorithms are the devil. I have a teenage daughter who I am convinced loves to spout conservative bullsh*t at me as her way of rebelling. (Maybe because it's the only way she can with liberal parents?! i.e. If she told us she was trans we’d say, “We love you! You do you!” (for example) But she really gets our goat when she shares conservative views and says she agrees with them. Anyway. She had this conservative Catholic boyfriend for like 5 minutes who turned her on to some podcast and now the algorithm just keeps suggesting more and more crazy conservative crap. It’s SOOOOOOO MADDENING!!!!
DEAR GOD woman. This is too much, OOF.
Feeling all the feels today and missing photos of Tater in the sun, but always happy to read your words. Thanks for reminding us to look after ourselves!
we'll be back<3 just need a little reset. I miss seeing your adventures too! thank god you started a newsletter;)
Thank you, Dani, for your so topical and swell essay. The news and social media bloat is real, and I say this as a confirmed news junkie (still) after 30+ years as a newspaper (back when they were a thing) journalist. In the past couple of weeks I have been finding the balance between staying informed and passing on the glut of garbage that tricks us into thinking it's information. Anyway, yes, it's a practice worth grasping. Feeling just a bit better for it.
I LOVE the use of the word "bloat" here. So perfect. Nice to "see" you here, Holly!