I Think I’m Done with the Discovery Feed
This is, ultimately, a pointless post. We don’t know each other. Who cares that I’m not going to browse this page? It would be better to keep my mouth shut and go about my business.
But I’ve never been one for restraint, so here we go.
There’s a perverse incentive to post the most sanctimonious, insipid shit in a bid for engagement. Back-and-forth posts about living as an NPC and the quality of writing. The echo chamber of self-congratulatory “never AI” manifestos, trite pseudo-motivational notes (let’s not let them win, guys), meta-blogging, small-internet cosplayers, etc.
Oh, and my absolute pet peeve: the writers who think it’s cute or stylish to ignore all literary conventions. Capital letters are a tool of the oppressor!
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Do I sound angry? I’m really not. Just sort of over it all. It was the #1 trending post, as of writing this, that sent me over the edge. My eyes rolled so hard, it was like a punch in the face. My chair tipped over backwards and now I’m writing this from the floor.
And since I didn’t use AI to write this, can I put the little badge on my blog? That way everyone can know I’m part of the resistance.
Sarcastic douchebaggery aside, not everything on Bear is like that. There are quite a few insightful writers with a genuine voice. Unfortunately, they’re rarely Trending. They usually have single-digit “toasts”.
This is my “old man shouts at cloud” moment. I started writing again for my own benefit. The anonymity afforded me by the internet allows me to drop the mask I have to wear every day. The good dad, the diligent corporate tool, the stoic combat vet, the friendly neighbor – none of those are truly me. Life has become an act. Maybe it always was. But when I write, edit, and post, I’m free. I’m leaving a record. For everyone and no one.
But being involved here, it becomes another mask. I see it in my writing; I feel it when I’m reading. So much of the stuff I find here is performative. And for some reason, that irritates the shit out of me.
And yes, I recognize the irony.