#and the modern internet and social media

[threadmonster]

I think a (potentially) generation defining thing is how you feel about the phasing out of internal optical/DVD/CD (however you say it) readers in laptops.

I do not want to have to buy an extra external device that has to be plugged in. That (in my opinion) is way more inconvenient than a laptop that's heavier.

I have plenty of physical media I still want to enjoy! (I also want to collect more before things disappear.) I already own them!! so, I'm sorry, the only way I'm experiencing it digitally is if I can rip it or if I download it by other means.

[miscartz]

John getting cancelled ♥️

[whereserpentswalk]

There's a cult that practices a strange and dark magic. They're strange, even to other wizards and sorcerers. They let in all beings, from mortals, to experienced mages, to demons and angels lost from the underworld, to the last of the goblins and orcs who still wander the dark woods of North America.

The cult is very secretive, and they fear the names of all gods. Their holy places are abandoned buildings, not even churches most of the time, abandoned stores, abandoned towns, abandoned malls. The type of place that cryptids would go to. And if you find them, they'll let you engage in their one and only ritual, silently, without ever talking to another member.

Their ritual is thus. They'll place a machine on your head, a strange thing made from wyrm intestines, and faerie bones, and old computer parts that nobody uses, and scrap metal, and chewed wires. And they'll turn it on over your head, and there you'll see everything, all the things from countless souls and countless planes, for as long as you wish.

But there is a catch. The machine decides exactly what to show you. Perhaps, if it wishes to impress you, it'll show you distant lands, and great creatures, and forgotten knowledge. That's useally the type of thing it'll show you at first. But it'll show you other things too. Glimpses of other people's lives perhaps, to give you a vague hint at someone you wish to know. Something shocking and disgusting that you'll never forget. Things that make you sad and worried. Perhaps even the tense nothingness of an empty dimension if it needs it.

See, the machine does not care about how you feel. It wants one thing, to never be put down forever, and to remain on your head as long as you want. It's not the only machine in the cult, every member has their own. And it'll show you things that make you afraid to take it off, warnings of coming dangers without a way to stop it, but it'll tell you to keep watching to know more if you want to be safe. It'll show you tragedy and people in pain, and tell you it's your fault for not paying attention, and denying the victims their right to have their assault watched, it won't tell you what could help them. If you could help you might be satisfied, but keep watching, you wouldn't look away like some sort of heartless monster. And it'll show you people who are better than you, people, real or half real, who'd shame you for not being like them, who want to tell a failure like you how to act, who need you to keep watching them or else your the fool. Just keep watching.

It'll show you whatever you want, though never let you interact. And eventually it'll tell you to do things more directly, if it trusts you, and soon you may be a priest of the machine cult. More and more are worn every day. More and more people are tuning into to the eternal broadcast.

[sw4mpc0re]

Internet lover

I'm so done with it all. The internet, social media, phones as a whole. I'm just coming here to vent sorry if this ends up long or maybe I'm not idk. It seems like one of those things everyone's going through, but no one wants to hear about. Now, obviously, we've all always been aware that phones and socials are addicting. But lately, it's just....getting to me so much. It sucks because I spend so much time alone at home, and I've made what I felt to be genuine friendships online, but if i leave those spaces, that's that. Gone forever are people I've known for years because no ones gonna text.

I don't blame them.

It's heartbreaking because I'm getting to this point where I feel I just may have to for my mental health, and just lose those friendships. Specifically I do mean Facebook, I'm aware it's dated but my friendships on the platform have spanned that long. It's hard to let go. But that is by far not all that's going on here.

God scrolling is so fucking boring like oh my God what the fuck are we actually doing?

No one wants to hear that but we must all think it.

I'm trying to make better use of my time and I think....I think I'm getting better. It's a process. I'll be using timers soon but everytime I'm on my phone all I can think about is how I'm

On my phone

Wasting my time

I open social media just to close it.

And I'm not trying to be biased. I still find comfort in small corners of online spaces.

Tumblr, my youtube channel, sharing music and art through Instagram and never actually looking at it.

I'm aware I am a hypocrite.

I find some comfort in throwing my feelings into the void as much as the next person but God I'm tired of scrolling. I miss the old internet. The one that had to be accessed by a computer and the world felt separate from technology. You had to put in effort.

Now they've mutated together like some amorphous monster

All consuming of our precious fleeting attention

I've watched people I love waste away to propaganda and misinformation based fear.

I've seen really interesting creative people (such as myself) stifled out because of a crippling addiction to screens

I've seen people do wonderful and amazing and horrible and shameful things in the name of some omnipotent entity that we all just casually accepted, and now we can't turn back.

Hell, even the internet is now consuming itself to death.

We've been given too much information. When are we going to stop acting like this is normal?

[jentlemahae]

-

[onemillionfurries]

[kvothe-kingkiller]

[goofballproximitysurveyor]

btw im goofballproximitysurveyor on discord and I also have a server for BB story discussion (It's mainly focused on the story but you all can organize playing the game together there too idc) and I'll probably end up making a dreamwidth at some point to have a more centralized archive of a lot of the art/scanlations/writing/other content I have posted and a place where I will probably make more long form posts talking about my interests in case of tumblr catastrophe. I am not getting out of this chair though lol I will be here until they pull the plug.

[ladyeckland28]

### The Dear David Twitter Thread: A Modern Tale of Haunting

In the digital age, where much of our entertainment comes from screens and social media, Adam Ellis’s "Dear David" Twitter thread in 2017 brought an old genre into a new medium. Ellis, a cartoonist by profession, recounted his haunting experiences with a ghostly child named "Dear David." His narrative, rich with disturbing dreams, eerie photos, and unexplained events, captivated millions and redefined how we consume horror stories.

**A Modern Storyteller’s Medium**

Adam Ellis’s choice of Twitter, a platform known for its brevity and immediacy, was unconventional yet oddly fitting for a ghost story. Each tweet, limited by character count, heightened the suspense and left readers in a state of perpetual anticipation. This fragmented style of storytelling allowed for real-time engagement, making the audience feel as though they were part of the unfolding mystery. As Ellis shared photo evidence of strange occurrences in his apartment and recounted his vivid, unsettling dreams, the threads between reality and fiction blurred.

**The Eerie Allure of Dear David**

The story begins with Ellis dreaming of a young, deformed boy named David who appears at the foot of his bed. In his dreams, David can answer only two questions correctly; any deviation leads to a fatal encounter. These initial details cast a spell on readers, combining the innocence of a child with the terror of the supernatural. As Ellis's dreams become more vivid and his waking life begins to mirror the hauntings, the gripping narrative takes a dark turn. Eerie photographs and videos posted by Ellis show household objects moving on their own, odd shadows, and inexplicable phenomena, compelling readers to question their understanding of the paranormal.

**Crafting Viral Horror**

What sets the "Dear David" thread apart is not just the spine-chilling content, but Ellis’s adept use of social media to craft a viral horror sensation. His updates were strategically timed, creating periods of agonizing suspense between revelations. This method of storytelling transformed the thread into an interactive experience, with followers dissecting every post, analyzing photos, and speculating on upcoming events. The widespread sharing and engagement turned "Dear David" into a communal experience, fostering a shared sense of fear and curiosity.

**The Impact and Legacy**

The "Dear David" thread is more than just a sequence of ghostly events; it is a pioneering effort in the realm of digital storytelling. It underscores the potential of social media platforms to bring traditional genres into new light, offering immersive and interactive experiences. Additionally, the phenomenon reflects modern society’s insatiable appetite for horror, amplified by the internet’s ability to connect and engage audiences worldwide.

In essence, the "Dear David" Twitter thread is a testament to how storytelling has evolved in the digital age. By blending age-old ghost story elements with the immediacy and reach of social media, Adam Ellis created an unforgettable narrative that continues to haunt the imaginations of many. As we move further into the digital future, the legacy of "Dear David" will likely inspire new modes of storytelling that capitalize on the unique features of contemporary platforms.

[bobthedragon2]

soooOOooo sick of feeling creatively unhealthy

[depressedraisin]

when zakir hussain rakesh chaurasia and niladri kumar are playing a triple concerto for sitar tabla flute conducted by alpesh chauhan and accompanied by the symphony orchestra but you're just a broke student living in the other end of the country

[lunarelly]

Why jail? 😆 (tag from the tumblr post)

LOL

actually it’s because your tags made me laugh so i felt competitive and i needed to come up with something just as startling

[ichbinmeltdown]

THIS!!!!

i hate you "influencers", i hate you tiktok, i hate you "content creators", i hate you "unalive" and "s€x" and "dr/ügs", i hate you instagram, i hate you consumerism, i hate you family friendly, i hate you puritans, i hate you facebook, i hate you family vloggers, i hate you violating other people's privacy, i hate you modern day social media

[mortalityplays]

I know you have all probably seen the esims for gaza posts circulating. Some of you have probably looked at them and thought maybe you should help out, but have weighed up the daunting process of signing up for something you're unfamiliar with vs. the gut-wrenching scale of the things people are going through on the ground right now, and you've put it off or questioned whether it will make enough of a difference vs. some other future kind of activism you could put that $6+ towards. I'm not calling you out or scolding you, it is natural to feel conflicted and ambivalent about the multiple calls for aid that you are seeing on social media.

but consider this: what would you do if you suddenly had to leave your home? how would you cope? how would you begin to plan where to go next, or figure out what to do to take care of yourself? most likely you would reach reflexively for your phone.

telecoms access is not a petty luxury in 2024. a loaded esim means the ability to call family members and find out where they are and whether they're safe, and whether they need anything you can provide for them. it means access to maps and regular updates on the situation unfolding around you. it means you can look up whether it's safe to drink rain water, or how to tie a type of knot you've never had to think about before, or how to treat an injury without medical supplies. it means the ability to tell people outside the situation what you are seeing, what you are feeling, what you are thinking. it is an absolutely crucial resource. and it starts at $6 for 7 days.

many many people have observed that internet access is changing the way the world understands genocide. internet access is life or death, and it is shaping modern history in front of you. and it starts at $6 for 7 days.

please, please visit gazaesims.com and spend 5 minutes and $6 to change the way this plays out for everyone.

[prazardous]

modern technology on the whole is blursed. very difficult these days coming to terms with how much i prefer not looking at a screen whenever possible

[somethingforsenro]

hard agree!!!! ive been on the receiving end of this a lot and it genuinely hurts

When you say a fandom is dead, it’s a bit of a blow to people who are still producing and enjoying work for that fandom. You’re basically saying what they’re doing doesn’t matter, doesn’t count, which might discourage them from continuing to participate.

If one person is creating content, the fandom isn’t dead.

If one person is consuming content, the fandom isn’t dead.

If two friends are chatting on skype about their OTPs, that’s fandom.

If someone doodles drawings of their favorite characters on a napkin, that’s fandom.

Just because someone is producing content for one fandom doesn’t mean they have to leave another.

Not every fandom can be the big, new, shiny and popular thing.

Not every fandom *should* be the big, new, shiny, and popular thing.

It’s okay to have small, tight-knit fandoms. They can be just as fulfilling and entertaining as the big ones.