16 Comments
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Jill CampbellMason's avatar

Exhausted from the needy media, I'll take your topic and slowly mull it--along with a glass of wine tonight.

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Kate Morgan Reade's avatar

Ah, good wine with contemplation: a satisfying pairing.

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Stephen Schiff's avatar

Thanks Kate! Since the election I've been thinking quite a bit about how the Substack notes fed to me set me up for emotional devastation afterward. Not only are social media entrapping, their algorithms embody a form of positive feedback (error magnifying) that leads us away from reality.

I think I will do a post on the topic.

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Kate Morgan Reade's avatar

Great observation; I second that experience, and look forward to your article!

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Liz Gauffreau's avatar

The same thing happened to me with hope ending with emotional devastation, thanks to social media.

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Kate Morgan Reade's avatar

I can't image how much worse it would have been if I'd been on other platforms besides Substack...

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Liz Gauffreau's avatar

You’re right about that.

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Mary R's avatar

I appreciate your thoughts here, Kate. I feel bad for other people’s losses, but I don’t have the emotional energy for my own stuff. Please don’t make me invest in Weltschmerz. And the algorithm feeds on my guilt. (Also my love for kitties.) I give at the office; I can’t do it on my own time.

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Kate Morgan Reade's avatar

Agreed! Just when I thought I wasn't doomscrolling, my Substack feed was handing me exactly that. Now when I open the app on my phone, I go directly to my home page. This reminds me of the dementors from Harry Potter. PS: I just looked up dementors to make sure my memory and spelling were correct, and found this gem: "How to protect against Dementors: Use the Patronus Charm, or eat chocolate to alleviate side effects"

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Mary R's avatar

Hahaha! Not having read the Potter books, I’ll just have to consume chocolate based on my lifelong relationship with Sandra Boynton’s hippos. (More of those please, Universal Algorithm.)

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Mary R's avatar

Love the art of @SueClancy !

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Kate Morgan Reade's avatar

Perfect!! @SueClancy has amazing hippos too!

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mary russell's avatar

Well said!

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Kate Morgan Reade's avatar

Thanks, Mary!

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Paolo Peralta's avatar

I feel more ok and more clear with the way things really are.

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Kate Morgan Reade's avatar

I agree 100%

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