People have been deleting their Meta accounts more and more in recent weeks, the same way many deactivated from X (Formerly Twitter) following the U.S. presidential election in November 2024. Now that TikTok is back after being gone for less than 24 hours, many our questioning their loyalty to this app as well.
There is absolutely no shame in asking questions about where we're spending our time, who has access to our data, and whether or not it's worth it. This is a judgment-free zone in that regard. But here's what I want to know: If we're no longer using Facebook or Twitter, Threads or Instagram, TikTok -- where are we supposed to go?
And I don't mean "which app is next." Bluesky has been an acceptable Twitter alternative for me so far, at least. There are plenty of trustworthy YouTube channels still uploading new videos. There are plenty of places to "hang out," so to speak.
But where do we go now to find community? Where do we post our genuine questions about current events or the world? Where do we go to organize when we want to improve one small pocket of the world at a time? Where do we go when we need support? Where is the place we are going to find all of this, simultaneously, and more?
There are two ways to look at this, and I leave it to you to decide which is best for you. You could say that keeping us on all these apps because of how much we think we need them is all part of the plan and therefore the problem needing an immediate response.
But you could also say that prompting us to delete all of our accounts is really the plot and has been all along. That by isolating ourselves, disconnecting from our circles, and cutting off contact with the friends and authorities we trust, it actually becomes more difficult for us to create positive change in a crumbling world.
There is no "right" way to respond here. But perhaps there are sacrifices to be made if we want any kind of future we can survive.