Why I’m unfollowing a lot of folk on Twitter
It’s taken me weeks, months even, to realise a simple fact: I simply can’t keep up with the number of people I follow on Twitter any more.
It’s finally dawned on me that I just don’t seem to have the ability to concentrate, focus and absorb information that I used to have.
Whether it’s the result of high dosages of some very heavy & exotic painkillers, antibiotics & other medication combined with the toxins produced by several serious infections I don’t know. Mind you, depression doesn’t exactly help either.
But, to be honest, I’ve run out of other ideas as to why my cognitive functions have been impaired like this.
The problem is I’ve been trying to re-engage with the accessibility community and at the same time following my concerns as a newly disabled person.
So much has happened in my chosen professional field since my medical problems began that it’s really hard to catch up with all the developments.
At the same time, I’ve been trying to keep up with what’s happening in our society since the – *cough* – scumbags came into power.
So, after many hours of deliberation and soul-searching, I’ve come to a decision.
I’m going to concentrate on the accessibility community and drastically reduce the number of people I follow in the disability community and other areas.
I am, obviously, very concerned about what is going on with the Welfare Reform Bill, the National Health Service and proposed changes to disability benefits and so on, so I’ll still follow a few people in that area.
But, for my own sanity, I need to drastically the sheer amount of information I’m trying to take in and process at the moment.
So, please don’t be offended if I suddenly un-follow you on Twitter – I promise you it’s not personal.
Cheers!
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I think that’s fair enough Gary. There’s too much stigma attached to unfollowing people on Twitter. I’ve known people to take great offence at being unfollowed but I don’t really get it myself. The connections that people make on Twitter are very informal and can be quite transient – you don’t have to reciprocate or authenticate and everyone uses the platform differently.
So, go ahead and have a cull. Cut it down to a managable amount for your personal circumstances. Just make sure you keep following @prettysimple
Thanks James!
How could I possible think of not following @prettysimple??
Gary,
Sorry to hear getting well is still taking so much of you time and energy. I mistook your lack of complaint for good news.
If Twitter is exhausting you, by all means adjust it so it can be constructive and a source of inspiration! Following doesn’t mean much if you’re not really paying attention.
You might want to consider using Twitter lists for those you “un-follow”. If you make lists by topic, you can check in on your politics (for instance) list, but only when you feel like it. And it’s less likely to overwhelming since it’s presorted (insofar as people tweet only about a single thing, of course.) It also makes it easy to to re-find those connections if you change your mind.
Meanwhile, wishing good things for you.
Sarah,
Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts and good wishes.
Your words and advice are always of value to me.
I’ve tried using several lists as you suggest, but still find it tiring.
Maybe the cull will help me concentrate more and, hopefully, lead to an increase in attention span and focus.
Cheers!
I had followed up to 50 people (what I felt was my limit and still read most of what came across my stream) and had a lot of followers, but when I decided I was ramping down front-end stuff (most of the people I followed are involved in front-end development and web accessibility one way or another), I just pared things down to family, friends, and a couple of people whom I regularly spoke with on Twitter, and forced a bunch to unfollow.
It felt like a psychological renewal.
If something really gets “big” in accessibility news, it will eventually reach you even if you only follow a few. So don’t think you have to follow a whole lot of people to get the important news.
Stomme poes: I’ve pared myself down to 76, but even that seems too much.
You’re right about something big reaching me – usually through Accessify Forum.
Thanks for dropping by.
Cheers!
I really like Sarah’s suggestion of using links in lieu of following. One of the less-obvious “accessibility” issues with social media is the sheer volume of content that you have to deal with, and the challenge of filtering that to make it manageable without missing important stuff.
Will be interested to hear how you get on, Gary. G’luck!
PS I meant lists, not links!