(no subject)

[shadowkat]

1. All caught up on Manifest -- good news, it didn't go where I thought it was going...bad news, it is even more convoluted and has decided to go down that oh so slippery slope of television time travel drama. (Ugh. Television writers should stop trying to do time travel. Unless they can outline and plot the entire series in advance, block out all the twists and turns, all character arcs, etc. Which is impossible to do in television. You can do it with books and movies but not with television shows -- particularly television shows airing on broadcast network channels.)

Oh well, at least the time travel is "future" as opposed to going back in the "past". But still.

Did like the new love interest/character for Micahla, because Jarrod irritates me.

2. If you are into comics..comxicology is a great find, it provides free comics. I read half of the Buffy comics for free, also over half of the X-men comics for free. So much cheaper than buying direct from Amazon or Marvel or the comic book store. Also got the first two volumes of Saga and Ms. Marvel for free.

I continue to thank Ponygirl2000 for this recommendation.

Also digital comics are easier on the pocket book (they are discounted at 10-15% or free), and storage space.

3. I wish politicians would stop emailing me. No, I'm not going to campaign for you. No, I'm not going to give you money. I might vote for you -- depending on your platform and what evil beasties are running against you.

Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren? I'm looking at you. (If I had to choose, Kamala would get my vote, although right now I'm swinging towards Kristen Gilbrandt, my home Senator. Wish Michelle O'Bama were running in 2020-- I'd vote for her in an instant. I love Michelle O'Bama.)

4. I keep seeing articles about how 1 in 10 people are lonely. My mother wanted to send one to me. I pleaded with her not to. People have always been lonely. The only reason it's a huge epidemic now is well..the internet and social media, which is guaranteed to make you feel miserable if you spend too much time on it. Not only does it feel the need to tell all the activities you should be doing, the life you should have, and the items you should own, it also feels the need to analyze why you feel miserable in excruciating detail. Often providing you with information that frankly...you were better off not knowing.

Feel miserable?

Get off the internet and social media for a bit. Works wonders.

Every time I spend too many hours on social media -- I get really depressed and anxious. Also have troubles sleeping. And my blood pressure goes up. Seeing a pattern here.

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

I did a survey recently that was asking about Democratic candidates and, though it was before she announced, she was listed and Harris was the one I chose. She will do incredibly well in debates.

Feel miserable? Get off the internet and social media for a bit. Works wonders.

I agree to a point. If you're doing the endless phone refresh, doing something else, especially being around nature, is likely to improve one's mood. But for people whose home lives are not comfortable, being distracted can be a good help especially if one is not doing, say, the FB sort of social media but reading pleasant stuff online.

[shadowkat]

Well, I did mean if you felt miserable while on the internet or if the internet was making you miserable. Not that your family or spouse was making you miserable and you were escaping into the internet to avoid them.

Also, it was related to how the internet can often make people feel more lonely.
Granted it's not true of all situations. But I know quite a few friends who have left DW and LJ and FB completely due to depression.

[shadowkat]

Of course, I've also spent too much time on FB this weekend having pointless arguments with people.

[frelling_tralk]

For me I find that social media adds a lot to my life and makes me feel less lonely, but then of course I do old-fashioned social media I guess you would call it as I mostly post on LJ and DW where it’s more about fandom and discussing shows. I do find sites like Facebook and Instagram very depressing when everyone comes across as determined to post about what a social whirlwind they are living, I worry that young people today especially take all that at face value and see it as everyone else having a better time than them, when really it’s more the case than everyone just wants the people following them to *think* that. It feels like the internet and social media today has become more about people endlessly promoting their perfect lives, and finding just the right angle for their selfies

[shadowkat]

I think if you are hunting for "connection" - social media can feel dissatisfying. It isn't always. And not all social media outlets or interactions are equal. But I know a lot of people who left LJ and DW for periods of time after getting really depressed. So it depends on a lot of factors. I'm not really that embroiled in a fandom any longer...so the interactions are often more fleeting.