I am someone who’s followed the news, and politics in particular, closely since I was a teenager. Since the election, I decided I needed a detox from news media. I still read the New York Times, primarily their morning newsletter, and I still get limited push notifications which are hidden from me unless I look for them, in case something truly “important” happens. I also wake up to NPR, but have turned it off immediately or after the two minute news summary pretty much every day since the election. What’s this have to do with my blog?

Today, Inauguration Day in the US, I simply avoided television news. I scrolled the New York Times homepage just now to see what was happening, and decided I didn’t miss anything meaningful to my life. I just opened up Bluesky and doomscrolled like I used to on Twitter whenever it was a big news day. I did so because it was the first major news day since the massive move to Bluesky, post-election. I didn’t gain any knowledge I will benefit from. (People are debating whether Musk gave two back-to-back Nazi solutes during the “rally” or whether he’s simply too stupid to know he made the infamous hand/arm gesture twice. To be fair, none of the posts seem to think he did so unintentionally). Now I'll go back to keeping a once-a-week max schedule for social services, unless I have a “reason” to go there. Mastodon, which I think is a bit better, but lacks most of the “normies”, I will keep to the same pattern. Quality content or not, while both are better than “X”, I don’t need my brain chemicals spiked by going there.

I’ve taken a step back from my blog and social media in general since November 2024’s election. As you can see from the post you are apparently still reading, I’m going to make an effort to start writing here again, so the web will have more human-written things in 2025. Some posts will undoubtedly about politics. But also some pieces about how I set up my tech, because I always appreciate when other people share their set ups. Others may be about design, music, and other meaningful things in my life.

I’ll see you—quietly and intentionally—on the internet.