#and like my heartstopper mutuals on here i'm horrified what unfolded today

[amsaro]

I'm not a social media expert but Twitter really is The Worst, isn't it?

I mean, it feels wrong to blame the platform rather than the people using it, but it really seems to attract the most unhinged elements.

I genuinely do not recall which fandom I was active in circa 2009 when Twitter was really getting huge, but I can remember sitting in my old apartment reading some screenshots (probably on LJ) and just thinking

"..... yikes"

Not only did it give people the opportunity to - let's not mince words - virtually stalk their celebrity faves, crushes etc, but also to demand the actual people interact with them, agree with them, vocally support their own interpretation of the fandom.

I'm not being wise after the event, I genuinely remember thinking this would lead to some scary places. And while some fans thought it would enhance their enjoyment of fandom, I felt it was likely to do the opposite.

I don't have Facebook. My rarely-used Instagram is just pictures of weird leaves and stuff I find. Tumblr isn't perfect and I know there are some assholes on here, but it doesn't seem to have the capacity for pure evil the way Twitter does. Or at least, it doesn't seem to attract as many people hell-bent on using it to cause harm.