My critique of Twitter

In January 2018, I quit Twitter for about a month. Here is the manifesto that I posted at the time for why I was quitting.

Don't worry, I'm staying on Twitter. Twitter is enormously helpful for learning new things, getting to know new people, bonding with existing friends, and sharing my thoughts and writing. But I'm planning to use it a bit less.

Today, my biggest critique of Twitter is that it takes up more of your time than you think, and time is the world's most finite resource. Twitter is great for bonding with people with similar interests, but it's important to devote enough time to truly pursuing those interests.

The best things in life come from internal motivation, and you aren't going to find that on Twitter.

Why I’m taking a break from Twitter (January 2018)

Twitter was stealing time away from my life. Being away from Twitter adds hours to my day and years to my life.

Thinking too much in terms of tweets was turning my brain into mashed potatoes. Being away from Twitter gives me mental clarity and focus. Being away from Twitter has freed my mind.

There are more productive things I can be doing with my time: reading books, writing books, exercising, talking to friends, and so much more. The opportunity cost was so massive, I could not let it continue.

It’s better to be a producer than to be a consumer.

It’s better to do the hard things.

It’s better to deliberately shape your personal environment than to passively follow what others are posting.

It’s better to be deliberate than to be reactive.

Twitter was making me think too much about current events—things that I have little to no control over—at the expense of my own life, which I have a lot of control over.

Twitter is the young, hip version of an old person yelling at their TV—except it’s more addictive and destructive to people’s lives.

Twitter gives you the illusion of influencing current events, when you aren’t.

It’s better to be the master of your own life than to watch helplessly as current events unfold.

It’s better to be the hero of your own life than to follow your heroes online.

It’s better to live in the real world than to live online.

People on Twitter often don’t know what’s going on in current events any more than you do. If something in the news is really bothering you, it’s better to do your own research and figure things out for yourself.

On Twitter, everyone is trying to tell you what to think. It’s better to think for yourself.

It’s better to confide in a few close friends than to broadcast your thoughts to everyone.

It’s better to be guided by internal motivation than to depend on external validation.

Being away from Twitter has given me a richer inner life.

Twitter shouldn’t be easier to reach than a good book.

Twitter is an imitation machine. It forces you to self-censor your thoughts before you’ve even fully formed them, or to tailor them a certain way, because everyone is watching.

People may choose to use Twitter, but that doesn’t make it any less of a panopticon.

If you like to have friends with a variety of different political views, then it’s hard not to say something that’s going to offend someone. This causes subconscious self-censorship, and becoming too bland to offend anyone.

Sometimes it's better to bond over differences, and accepting them, than to bond over perceived similarities.

Twitter is like fast food for reading, thinking, and meaningful social interaction. It's fast food for the soul.

Twitter is a popularity contest with no winners.

To be truly original, I need to develop my thoughts and actions away from the judgment of others.

I can only be truly, fully myself when I don’t have to worry about what other people think.