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elicathebunny · 5 months

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FINALLY CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR HIGHEST SELF IN 2024.

You are going to STOP scrolling endlessly for self-help and advice content and you are going to STOP and apply the knowledge you have endlessly gained. Obtaining help and advice knowledge is useless if it goes through one ear and comes straight out the other. STOP becoming addicted to the idea of scrolling and scrolling for your problems yet you already have the resources to fix them. A fool is a person who cannot decide to take action despite having access to the information needed to do so.

BREAKING FREE FROM THE SCROLLING CYCLE

Learning and Applying is one thing, but Learning and Staying Stationary is literally brain rot. You're addicted to the idea of change and the end result, but you never take the steps towards discipline with a personal structure to get that result. You keep looking for quick fixes and easy hacks, but life is not a quick fix and no hack can elevate your life from 0% to 100% without visiting the rest of the numbers first.

TAKE A BREAK FROM SCROLLING

Take time away from your usual scrolling and learn to be on your own. Learn your own ways of self-care, learn what works for you and understand what you need, because nobody is the same. Following a millionaire's morning routine will not make you a millionaire. This routine has worked for someone to feel and be productive in the morning and was probably curated over the years to suit their current lifestyle. So, seeing other people's successes and comparing their working ways to your life is unrealistic if you are not in a position to implement them. Going straight from 0% (Being unproductive and procrastinating) to 100% (Being incredibly Productive and in tune with self) will not be sustainable for someone who has not built the discipline and the inner foundations required for it. STOP seeing information online and taking it without ALTERING anything to your personal situation.

STOP ASKING HOW TO AND JUST DO

"How to lose weight, How to become more social, How to do this and that"

Most of these things you ALREADY know the answer to. Everybody knows that to lose weight, you need to burn more than you consume. There is literally no other way, no magic and no secret hack, just that simple fact. I guarantee you know that to become more social you just have to be social. Learn to be comfortable in social situations which will require inner work, but it's not a difficult concept. Most of us know what we need to do, yet we still try to find quick fixes or another way that same message is presented to us differently. We act as if we are improving and developing on our "improvement" journey yet we are just finding coping ways to feel like we are moving, yet we are still in the exact same place as before. I know you know what to do, I know you have researched what you should do and ways you can do it. So why are you not doing it? Why are you still not where you want to be? If you are not where you want to be, then what you're currently doing needs to change. You cannot do the exact same thing you've been doing for years and expect a different outcome. You need to curate a routine suited to your needs that is realistic and achievable to adopt.

LEARNING TO MOVE ON YOUR OWN, STOP DEPENDING ON OTHERS TO FUEL YOUR SUCCESS JOURNEY LISTEN TO: NOBODY IS COMING TO SAVE YOU BY JULIENHIMSELF Make yourself your safe space, your foundation. When you see yourself in the mirror you should be able to tell yourself "I love you", you should be so sure in what you do that nobody else can contradict what you believe in yourself, this is the end goal of self-improvement. Many of us have put aside our goals because we "are not ready", "people may judge us" or "I need to be/achieve ___ to.." Now don't get me wrong, I'm on this journey with you. I write on this blog to teach my brain how to think in the higher mindset that I'm creating for myself. I too have thoughts like this which is why in 2024 we are going to break out of our old selves to make room for our new selves together. We have to lose ourselves to find ourselves. If you're mood and self-worth are controlled by other people's opinions, then you will never advance further with yourself and will remain stationary. You have to stop allowing other people to determine whether you are allowed to pursue your desires or if you shouldn't because of fear of rejection. Don't take life too seriously, we are only here for so much time. So what if people make fun of you? In a few years will you look back and be proud and fulfilled of your past or feel regret and disappointment? LISTEN TO: WHY YOU CARE SO MUCH BY JULIANHIMSELF + LISTEN TO: HOW TO DETACH BY VICKITA TRIVEDI

The only way to get to 0%-100% is by doing.

Embody your potential

#self worth #dream girl #that girl #self improvement #improve #self growth #self gratitude #new years #highest self

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writingquestionsanswered · 5 months

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hello, do you perhaps wrote some tips on how to do self-proofreading? i mainly write fanfic for fun, but even so i want to give my best so i can look back at my writing and think that i've done all i can. i feel like i have to proofread my writing to achive that. but the thing is, i have a hard time staying objective. im afraid it will only worsen my draft. however, i can't also afford proofreading service. if you have written that topic before, please let me know. thank you! have a pleasant day.

Proofreading

It's important not to confuse proofreading and editing. In editing, you're finding and fixing big picture items like conceptual problems, structural issues, plot holes, loose threads, loose world building, weak character development, thematic incoherence, meandering narrative arc, wonky pacing and flow, etc.

Proofreading is about finding and correcting errors, such as typos, misspelled words, incorrect grammar, bad or missing punctuation, formatting errors, eliminating crutch words, improving consistency and clarity, cutting back on repeat words, limiting use of passive voice, and minimizing overuse of dialogue tags.

While editing is often subjective--what one persons considers to be a problem may seem fine to another person--proofreading is rarely subjective. Incorrect grammar is incorrect grammar. A typo is a typo. A spelling error is a spelling error.

Whether you're talking about editing, proofreading, or both, there are lots of free checklists for both that you can find online. These checklists provide an item-by-item list of things to watch out for. These can be really helpful when you're editing and when you're proofreading. With editing especially, it can help you stay a little more objective about things that need objectivity, like problems with pace and structure. They can also give you confidence that you've done everything you can in self-editing/self-proofreading. You can find these lists by Googling terms like "fiction editing checklist" or "fiction proofreading checklist."

Happy editing/polishing!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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#writing tips #writing help #writing advice #wqaadvice

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myadhdchronicles · 7 months

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Navigating Life with ADHD: My Journey, Tips, and Hacks

Living with ADHD has its unique challenges, but it's also a journey filled with creativity, resilience, and countless small victories. I've learned to embrace my ADHD and discovered some invaluable tips, hints, and hacks along the way. In this blog, I'll share my personal insights and strategies that have made life with ADHD more manageable and even exciting.

1. Embrace Your ADHD:

Accepting your ADHD is the first step to managing it effectively. It's a part of who you are, and that's okay.

Learn about your specific strengths and weaknesses associated with ADHD. You might be exceptionally creative or have hyperfocus superpowers!

2. Create a Structured Routine:

Establishing a daily routine can provide a sense of stability and predictability.

Use digital calendars, planners, and reminders to keep track of appointments, tasks, and deadlines. I particularly like Sunsama, it is very ADHD-friendly. Habitica is good too, it is a gamified digital calendar that engages the ADHD brain much better than regular planners.

3. Prioritize and Set Goals:

ADHD brains can easily get overwhelmed by too many tasks. Prioritize your to-do list and break tasks into smaller, manageable goals.

Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small.

4. Minimize Distractions:

Create a dedicated workspace that's free from distractions.

Consider using noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys, or white noise to maintain focus.

Learn what kind of workspace works best for you, it's not the same for every ADHD brain.

5. Time Management Techniques:

Use the Pomodoro Technique (working in short, focused bursts with breaks) to stay on track.

Set timers for tasks to prevent hyperfocus and procrastination.

6. Medication and Therapy:

Consult a medical professional to discuss medication options.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help you develop coping strategies and improve executive functioning skills, but know your own ADHD brain because it does not work for all of them.

7. Mindfulness and Meditation:

Mindfulness practices can help you stay present and reduce anxiety.

Try meditation to improve concentration and self-awareness.

Meditation and mindfulness do not have to be the typical sit still and clear your-mind things they are for non-ADHD brains, for a lot of ADHD brains we need to move so something like knitting/crocheting, going for a walk, or sitting outside in nature with your dog are our forms of mindfulness and meditation.

8. Stay Organized:

Use color coding, labels, and file systems to keep your physical and digital spaces organized.

Daily checklists can be a game-changer.

Know your own ADHD brain and make your system one that works for your brain or organization will continue to be a struggle.

9. Don't Fear Mistakes:

It's okay to make mistakes. Learn from them and keep moving forward.

Perfectionism can be your enemy; aim for progress, not perfection.

Learn to let good enough be good enough, perfection does not exist.

10. Get Adequate Sleep and Exercise:

Prioritize good sleep hygiene; it can significantly impact your ADHD symptoms.

Regular physical activity can boost focus and mood.

11. Utilize ADHD-Related Apps:

Explore ADHD-focused apps designed to help with time management, organization, and focus.

Some popular options include Todoist, Forest, Trello, Clarify ADHD, Sunsama, and Fabulous.

12. Seek Support and Community:

Connect with others who have ADHD through support groups or online forums.

Share your experiences and learn from the journeys of others.

Living with ADHD doesn't mean you're destined to struggle. By embracing your uniqueness and applying these tips, hints, and hacks, you can take control of your life. ADHD has its challenges, but it can also be a source of creativity, innovation, and unique perspectives. Remember, you're not alone, and there's a vibrant community of people who understand and support you on this journey. Embrace your ADHD, and together, we can navigate the world with success and resilience. See you next time, ADHD Team!

#adhd #adhd brain #adhd problems #neurodivergence #actually adhd #neurodiversity #neurodivergent #neurodiverse stuff #adhd things

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blissfullyecho · 1 year

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‘That Girl’ 2023 Self-Development Toolkit [Available Now]!!

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To join my exclusive online community, click this link here.

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thefirstknife · 5 months

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Hi Bel,

I keep seeing comments about people complaining about the quality of destiny’s writing and story in the last few weeks. I haven’t really engaged with destiny since season of defiance, what’s currently gotten everyone so riled up? I thought that people were enjoying Season of the Deep/Witch in terms of narrative, why is Season of the Wish causing people to deride the destiny writing staff again?

I don't know!

Deep and Witch have been absolute bangers in every aspect to me. I've been enjoying all interactions and lore tabs we've received. A lot of them are stuff that we've never had before, a lot of reunions and closures, a lot of development and interactions between characters who you wouldn't really think would have much in common.

Sloane's return and healing from what she's been through has been fantastic, Drifter opening up with her to help her because he also got help from others was fantastic, Sloane reuniting with Aisha and Shayura brought me to tears (Shayura's descent into madness was triggered by immense trauma of Sloane staying on Titan and Titan disappearing), everything with Sloane and Zavala...

Witch was just incredible in every single way; the focus on Eris, the amount of Eris and Ikora content!!!!! Everything about Xivu and Savathun and their interactions together!! Eris finally fulfilling her goal she promised Savathun YEARS ago, getting that closure.

Wish so far has been equally great to me. All the new stuff about Ahamkara is amazing, finally giving us proof for long-standing speculation about Ahamkara and how they aren't universally evil creatures and expanding on them as a species. I love all interactions we've had so far; finally we have Petra back, Mara's singleminded focus on figuring out how to defeat the Witness and her continuous work to improve as a person, ALL SJUR MENTIONS!!!!! I won't talk about the "leak" because we have no context for it so I will wait for the full story to be revealed before I can pass judgment; something that I think should be a lesson to learn from this entire year. Maybe wait for the story to finish before judging the story.

Literally everything this past year that involves Osiris, but especially this season now that he's back in his element with the Vex. And of course every little detail we get of him and Saint. Osiris honestly shaped this year for me with everything that he's done to uncover the biggest mysteries. I think a big reason is that a lot of people just don't like Osiris, which I consider a massive skill issue.

Other than that, I don't know what are the issues people have besides just not being interested in any of these storylines and attributing it to a nebulous "bad writing" claim. I also genuinely believe that way too many people get wrapped up too much in fandom, imagine storylines they want to see and then get disappointed when the actual story doesn't go there. Almost like people forget that this isn't their story and these aren't their characters. A lot of it is also fandom completely warping characters into not what they actually are and then feeling like the canon story is the one that's wrong.

Whatever is the reason, I guess everyone is entitled to their perspective of the story and everyone is free to explore the story in different ways through fanfics and AUs and whatever. I do that too!

But I would definitely ask people to be normal with how they engage in criticism, especially in the current state of affairs. Writers are developers; they experience a ton of harassment and negativity from the community and also from inside the company. And they are online: they can see what we're saying. It's been documented that community commentary has been used to harass writers:

Imprint this into your brain and never forget what these people had to go through. Let's not forget also the way people treated Seth Dickinson on social media when he was active with Destiny fans. "Fans" were actively arguing with him about his own work (telling him that HE is wrong) and were utterly disgusting towards him when he tried explaining what he wrote. His works are now hailed as the best writing in Destiny and people want him back. If I were him, I wouldn't want to come back ngl, not with how he was treated and not with how fans are still treating writers (and hey, Seth wrote LF Collector's Edition! So he was back, technically, this year!). Let's not forget that a lot of writers are members of various marginalised groups. And I'd definitely not want to go back with zero support from leadership.

Which is also an important aspect for all developers, including writers: sometimes they have orders they may not like, but can't argue against. They do the best they can with what they're given, the time they have and directions they receive. And with that in mind, I am enjoying everything we've gotten this year, obviously with some specific complaints about things I didn't particularly enjoy (like the universally mid reception of Defiance; I've spoken about my gripes with it before, a big one being the shafting of Suraya who should've at least been mentioned in a lore tab).

I can tell that there is passion in their work, even if maybe they would prefer to do more with it, but can't. Maybe even if they want to take different routes, but can't. But from what we got, I can feel that they care about this world and these characters. I can tell that someone lovingly wrote about Sloane and her friendships with two grieving women. I can tell that they deeply cared about Sloane's friendship with Zavala and that they loved showing us Saint and Drifter caring about a fellow trauma survivor.

I can tell that the writers are immensely careful and loving towards Eris; everything she went through was crafted with love and passion from both writers and her VA. Eris' story is such a fundamental aspect of Destiny and I can tell that this was important to the writing team and that they gave her everything they could to do justice to her character and her arc and her healing and her release from the cycle she was trapped in for so long.

I can tell that there are writers who care a lot about Osiris and Saint and their relationship. I can tell that someone cared a lot about expanding on Ahamkara and giving them more personalities. I can tell that someone cared DEEPLY about Sjur and Mara and that her repeated mentions are the passionate work of writers who want us to remember her.

I could go on. And I know that not everyone sees it this way, which is fine; we all have different ways of perceiving stories. I enjoy discussing things we in the fandom disagree on and I enjoy hearing different perspectives! Unfortunately, this has recently become rarer and rarer. And for the love of god, please try and treat writers with some respect, especially now, especially those who are still working and doing their best with the shitty situation they're in. None of the cries of "poor devs" ring true to me unless the same is given to writers, instead of treating them like punching bags.

#destiny 2 #long post #for the record: yeah i also have some gripes with some writing decisions. it's normal #but i feel like those are things that i can learn to accept or let go or even have my mind changed with a different perspective #or by just accepting that the writing team was limited in some way and that this was the best they could do #it happens to every story at some point #and yeah capitalism is the death of art. destiny's story would be better from start to finish if it weren't a shooter mmo #but that ship has sailed a long time ago. like. in 2014.#it's honestly a miracle that we got even a fraction of the stuff we got considering the target audience of fps mmos #and it's fine if this just isn't good enough to some. happens #but i think we can move on without being shitty about devs yeah?#in all likelihood writers may even agree that some of the stuff they had to write isn't the best or isn't what they wanted #calling them bad writers over circumstances we don't understand is just shitty #just like it's shitty to do it to any other dev over bugs in the game or badly implemented features or whatever #none of these people are sitting at their desks maliciously laughing while deliberately creating 'bad' things #and this is especially bothering me for writers because of how atrocious people are to artists of all kinds #almost like writers had to strike this year to be respected and treated as people that matter

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izicodes · 1 year

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Switching to Firefox

This post is to answer @leaveblackkbrosalone’s question on my post about me switching to Firefox!

I recently had an eye opener moment when researching about Google and how they collect data to alter the things they recommend you and other things. And it was astonishing how much data they collect on you and how they track you every movement whilst on Google/Chrome/Other Google services e.g. Google PlayStore.

I truly believe there are better alternatives out there than the default Google Chrome people tend to use. We now live in world of constant data breaches and online tracking, therefore protecting your online privacy and security has never been more important.

I’ve recently deleted Chrome from my phone and computer and switched to FireFox and I’ll explain why~!

What is Firefox?

Firefox is the famous fox web browser! It is a free and open-source that is developed by the Mozilla Foundation. It's designed to be fast, secure, and customizable, and is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Firefox includes a suite of built-in features, such as enhanced tracking protection, custom themes (so important obviously) and add-ons, and a flexible interface that can be tailored to the user's needs.

Why Firefox and not Google Chrome?

There are a bunch of reasons why I chose to delete Google Chrome and why I prefer FireFox now, let me list some:

Privacy

Firefox has a strong focus on privacy and security, with features like built-in tracking protection and a strict anti-tracking policy.

In contrast, Chrome is owned by Google, a company that relies heavily on data collection and advertising for its business model.

Customisation

Firefox has a much more flexible and customizable interface than Chrome, with a wide range of add-ons (equivalent to Chrome’s ‘extensions’ I believe) and themes available to personalize your browsing experience.

Open-source

Firefox is an open-source project, meaning that anyone can contribute to its development and review the code for security issues.

Chrome, on the other hand, is based on the Chromium project, which is also open-source but is controlled by Google.

Cross-platform compatibility

Firefox works on a wide range of devices and operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile devices.

Chrome is also available on multiple platforms, but it's more heavily integrated with Google's services and ecosystem.

Performance

Firefox has made significant improvements in recent years and is now a competitive browser in terms of speed and efficiency.

Still, Chrome is known for its fast performance

Community-driven

Firefox is developed by the non-profit Mozilla Foundation, which has a strong focus on user empowerment and community involvement. This means that Firefox users have a voice in the development process and can contribute to the browser's future direction.

With all of that being said, there is one particular area that caught my eye that I mentioned briefly: the Privacy and Security.

Firefox’s Privacy and Security Advantages

Firefox definitely has advantages in these areas than Google Chrome surprisingly!

Enhanced Tracking Protection

Firefox includes built-in tracking protection that blocks many common types of trackers by default, including

third-party cookies, cryptominers, and fingerprinters

This helps to protect your online privacy and reduce the amount of data that's collected about you. Below are the options for the 'Enhance Tracking Protection' in the settings:

No Google Tracking

Oh boy, I like this one. So unlike Chrome, which is owned by Google and ties into its advertising and data collection ecosystem, Firefox is developed by the non-profit Mozilla Foundation and has no affiliation with Google or any other major tech company. This means that Firefox is less likely to collect and share your data with third parties.

No Sign-In Required

While Chrome requires you to sign in with a Google account to access certain features, Firefox does not require any sign-in at all. This means that you can still use Firefox without creating a user profile or linking your browsing activity to any personal information -

Don’t get me wrong, if you want to use the Google search engine WITHIN FireFox, it might still prompt you to sign in but you still don’t have to! Also, the choice is there to create an account just to sync bookmarks and tab from one device to another e.g. phone to laptop.

Private Browsing Mode

(Another very important part!) Firefox offers a Private Browsing mode that doesn't save your browsing history, cookies, or temporary files. This can be useful for browsing sensitive content or preventing others from seeing what you've been looking at.

Firefox's Private Browsing mode offers a more robust set of features for privacy and security than Google’s Incognito mode. Within the ‘Settings’, you can customise your privacy settings more extensively than Google Chrome. You can choose to block all third-party cookies, prevent websites from accessing your location data, and clear your browsing history and data automatically when you close the browser.

Google's Incognito mode does not block all cookies or prevent all forms of tracking.

Open-Source Security

Like I mentioned before, Firefox is an open-source project, meaning that anyone can review the code and contribute to its development. This helps to ensure that security vulnerabilities are identified and addressed quickly, and that the browser remains as secure as possible. You too can find something and report it to the repository via creating an issue!

To Conclude

Of course, these are just some general reasons why you might prefer Firefox over Chrome, and the choice ultimately comes down to personal preference and priorities. I know with developers, they would prefer Chrome for the dev tools and I think it’s almost a standard to use Chrome (though at my workplace we use Microsoft Edge), anyhoo Google is just a default for web browsing and search engine. I also know it’s hard if you have a whole Google ecosystem set up like Google docs to Sheet to Slides, emails, calendar etc, you can still use them but on a safer browser.

I would also recommend using ‘DuckDuckGo’ for a search engine as they too are really good with security and privacy but as a search engine (plus on their phone app they have a cool animation when you want to delete you browsing data from the tabs hehe)!

Links to interesting pages for more information on this topic:

YouTube videos: video 1 | video 2 | video 3 | video 4

Articles: article 1 | article 2 | article 3

I’d say give it a go, if you don’t like it I still recommend anything but Google Chrome! Well, that’s all and thank you for reading! 🥰👍🏾💗

#xc: programming blog post #programming #coding #studying #codeblr #progblr #studyblr #comp sci #computer science #firefox #google chrome #chrome #security and privacy #safer internet #security #privacy #data protection #user data

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transmutationisms · 8 months

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possibly too broad but do you have any thoughts on the discourse around self-pathologizing? seems like there’s weird territory there since there are so many barriers to diagnoses and people should be free to self-report, yet some pathologies are essentially capitalist inventions and it may be more harmful than helpful for people to fixate on them without some kind of external guidance (though i don’t mean to imply they need to consult medical practitioners). i also don’t really think faddishness is the big concern it’s made out to be, but what do you think?

yeah to me this is a good example of how genuinely epistemologically radical critique of psychiatry can become assimilated into pretty staid liberal discourses of self-empowerment / -care / -improvement. pathologisation, imo, is basically materially meaningless if it's not backed by the sorts of institutions and power relations that characterise the psychiatric establishment. which is to say, if we're only talking about diagnostic labels in a kind of personal-choice framework (as so much of the medium dot com industrial complex seems to be doing lately) then it robs these conversations of a lot of their urgency and impact. i don't think overreliance on the language of the dsm is particularly helpful, as a general matter of seeking to develop political consciousness as well as self-knowledge, but i also don't think it really matters one way or another if someone self-dxes or un-dxes. what makes a difference is things like: is this person being robbed of their autonomy? are these explanatory frameworks being imposed on them by credentialled experts levelling their professional status to claim epistemological authority over the psyche? what social and economic violence is being committed here? some rando online relating to a diagnostic label and using it for themself is not doing these things, and may very well be helpful to that person (it may also not. but again the harm here is p limited).

i have said before, a lot of what puts me personally off dsm labels is the essentialism they're in bed with. ie, it's not just a shorthand descriptor of behaviours or symptoms—these terms are pretty much always being wielded as claims to have identified a biologically based 'neurotype', eg, or some as-yet-unverifiable misery-engendering genetic complex, or whatever else. and to be clear, i think these types of claims do actually carry widespread social harm, because no matter what rhetorical games you play, you're never just saying these things about yourself. it's a claim to certain forms of bio-essentialism that both shores up professional psychiatric authority and applies to people besides yourself (this is just the nature of such universalising claims about human biology). but this is an issue that goes so far beyond use or disuse of diagnostic labels; plenty of people who have embraced superficial principles of anti-psych critique still make all manner of such essentialist claims when it comes down to it, with or without grabbing onto a specific diagnostic label. so i think the kind of panicking we see in certain left-leaning circles about self-dx is not actually about this issue at all, and is certainly not capable of addressing it productively.

without going insanely long here i would just add that this is kind of a general answer because different labels have different histories and functions (eg, compare the social and political function of pathologising a depressive episode, vs autistic traits / behaviours, vs a so-called personality disorder). and also, whenever talking about self-dx i think it's important to add that one of the most important functions of these labels from a patient perspective is they function as means of gatekeeping access to certain accessibility measures, so any kind of anti-self dx position in current political conditions will harm people who need those accommodations. and i have less than zero interest in questioning anybody who wants accessibility measures for literally any reason or uses any method to obtain them.

#psychiatry

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jovieinramshackle · 11 days

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talent and quote for both jovie and jess!!

(more asks here!)

Oh this will be fun I get to drop some lore for both of them teehee

14. Talent: What is your twst OC's talent and who can properly appreciate that talent?

Jess:

Jess has a variety of skills, most of them having to do with singing, dancing or performing, as they used to participate in Beatuty Pegants and Competitions from a young age as requested by their mother.

But the one thing Jess grew to love enough to practice it even in their alone time is: making music.

Or music composition, more accurately, Jess found extreme comfort in music.

They first began making up random melodies in free apps at the age of 10, soon they started watching proper tutorials, and studying books online and had managed to create songs using the piano at their mother’s home by the time they were 13. Least to say, they had it in them.

Their mother had realised Jess creating their own songs would be an advantage during competitions, so they signed them up for training with a professional since they had the money for it. Hard-earned money Jess had won.

Over time, Jess found themselves losing their love for making music, as it had become another tool forced upon them by their mother to keep winning— the same thing that had happened with dancing, singing and even performing in general.

Jess can’t deny their talent though, and to their surprise, it proved to be quite useful during the SDC. It started with giving Vil mere suggestions on how to improve his song, then quickly escalated to them becoming the co-writer for it.

Due to that, Vil is the first to truly appreciate their talent and the first to know why Jess hid it, so much so that he felt guilty for also causing the song they had worked so hard on together to fail— along with the guilt of making the whole team lose.

If they had to be blunt, Jess would say they aren’t grateful for a lot of the things their mother had put them through. However, if those skills could be useful somehow, they’d be willing to put them to use. It’s important to take every chance that’s given to you, right?

Jovie:

Jovie’s talent is one fitting of someone with an artistic nature: Graphic Design.

Drawing, in general, too but the craft of creating visual content and representations was their speciality. Jovie had been drawing since they were very young— and with the combination of the witchy spell books inherited from their grandma that included a range of colourful symbols and designs— it’s no wonder Jovie grew a knack for design and art.

Colours, shapes, lines— Jovie loved them all. They loved playing around with them to create art, it’s one of the main ways she knew how to express themselves. Along with that, it was also useful to study and understand the old symbols in the books her ancestors had created for hexes and curses.

Her mother would always tell them the importance of visual representation. For witches, a written spell isn't enough to perform their spells, a symbol to go along with it is crucial to the process.

Now imagine their surprise when they used this talent to…help in designing a restaurant.

Menus, business cards, and other print materials— Once Jovie agreed to work with a certain octopus to help with his new lounge, they suddenly found themselves with a lot more work.

Not that they mind, despite the frustrations and complaints. More work meant more payment, whether it was monetary or practical.

As it were, Azul had found himself understanding what goes into designing on a deep level— from the thought process behind the decisions to seeing first-hand the frustration of an artist when their vision wouldn’t come out how they imagined it.

It intrigued him, in a way, and he developed a new profound appreciation for it. And besides— it’s only natural for a good employer to understand the work of his employees, right?

It's a fact visuals are how you catch someone's attention immediately, and a good visual will pique the person's curiosity, making them look even longer. They are vital if you want to attract people, and he couldn't deny that Jovie's work had done the job successfully.

16. Quote: Give me something your twst OC will say. Either something they always say or something iconic they said. Something that helps solve the problems or something that is a catalyst to even more issues.

Jess:

"EVERYONE, SHUT UP." - a common phrase they yell when everyone around them starts bickering and arguing like middle schoolers. Loud noises aren’t something that necessarily bothers Jess, but so many people yelling at once can truly get annoying, especially during serious situations.

"Remember when you told me I need to set a good example for my dorm members? Well, here I am, because a good leader never leaves their members behind, even if it's only one." - Jess to Riddle at STYX, trying to make him understand why they're the one that have to find Grim in Tartarus.

Jovie:

"I'm gonna kill him I'm gonna kill him I'm gonna-" - Just a little thing they mutter when Floyd won't cooperate with them, or whenever someone is being a huge nuisance, for that matter. You'll find them muttering it in her native language (Greek) a lot too. (fun fact I do that irl too).

"What-? No! I never hated the way you were back then, I loved you just as much as I love the way you are now!" - Said during a serious conversation between Jovie and Azul.

tagging: @ramshacklerumble @thehollowwriter @summerspook @scint1llat3 @skriblee-ksk @cyanide-latte (lmk if you wanna be added)

#I just realise both of my main ocs have names that start with J #Sorry for taking a bit with the asks my family won't leave me alone HDOAJZKAKDSI #twisted wonderland #twst #twst oc #twst fanart #twst mc #twst yuu #twst ask game #vil schoenheit #azul ashengrotto #jess ariti #jovie j. jovinston #jovie's writing #jovie's art #ask me anything #moot ask

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exeggcute · 2 years

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in general I would not hesitate to describe tumblr as a website that both attracts and cultivates an extremely emotionally immature userbase (it is absolutely not better than twitter in this regard lol) but people's attitude about the site itself and feature requests/updates, specifically this unchecked tendency to take out their frustration on random employees, is like off-the-wall entitled nutso shit. it really should not surprise me at this point but every time I see it I'm like legit shocked that people feel emboldened to behave like that just because there's a level of digital abstraction between them and the employee they're blowing up on.

this website is not a public commons, this website is not some natural property of the universe, this website is a privately-held company. it's run like a company. it's a company that offers a service that most people use without paying a cent (especially if you're using an ad blocker, which means you're not even generating ad revenue). like most social media sites, tumblr does primarily exist to turn a profit—and understanding that profit motive genuinely goes a long way towards understanding why certain things shake out the way they do in the land of web development—but I feel like tumblr is unique among social media platforms in that it's not actively hostile to its users and isn't headed by a billionaire manchild egomaniac.

the internet in general is not an ethereal magic box where your complaints go in and cool new features come out. I feel compelled to once again return to my rant about how the internet is built on nearly-invisible labor (much of that being unpaid or underpaid labor), and while tumblr falls into the category of paid labor, it still relies on real human people who have to physically make and maintain and deliver the product you use every day.

there is no coherent way to, to use a common example of something tumblr users do understand about digital labor, push back against crunch in the game dev industry and advocate for better working conditions for the workers whose games you're buying and then turn around and verbally harass random IC-level employees at a social media site that you use every day for free. this is totally fucking deranged behavior. you should know better than to yell at a call center rep about your insurance premium going up and you should know better than to yell at a random employee because you don't like a policy that their boss's boss's boss implemented. please demonstrate a shred of understanding for your fellow man and act like an adult.

and yeah, there's always room for improvement. I think tumblr's capacity for genuine improvement, especially in recent years, is another thing that makes it unique. the pitfalls that tumblr does suffer from are more or less universal pitfalls suffered by every other social media site (e.g., content moderation is an endless, labor-intensive game of whack-a-mole played by underfunded and overworked support agents).

personally I'm just grateful to have been using a website like this for so long without ever being compelled to subscribe to a paid service, and with a core experience that's remained unchanged for over a decade. this is one of the last remaining places online where you aren't bombarded by shitty reels and trending topics and mandatory "best posts first" timelines.

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ecoursenotepok · 2 years

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Best project management documents knowledge base

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ahiddenpath · 11 months

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Why do you insist on coddling fanfiction writers? Shouldn't we welcome constructive criticism so that we may improve? As a writer, I can't think of anything worse than resting my laurels on mediocre writing and developing hubris because everyone was too afraid to tell me how bad my fic really was.

I'm assuming this ask was prompted by the two posts I reblogged about fanfiction recently.

The first states that fanfic writers are working on their own projects. A reviewer telling them to write what they want to see isn't concrit. Unless the writer indicated that they aren't sure where to take the story and are looking for input, then telling a writer what to put in their fic is an attempt to have someone make content for you for free. If a reader wants specific content, they must write it, commission it, or seek out someone who is looking for prompts.

The second states that if you don't like a fic, then you shouldn't read it. The implication is that you should leave rather than leave a nasty review, but personally, I mostly take it as, "hey babe, your free time is precious, don't spend it on stuff you don't like." Again, this isn't about concrit. It's a warning against wasting your own time as a reader. Maybe the internet has always been this way, but there seem to be folks who engage in fandom by... Seeking out the exact opposite of what they like and then raging about it. In my opinion, this hurts everyone. Again, nothing here relates to concrit.

I'd say most writers like concrit, but concrit implies that the reader understood the work, possesses analytical skill, and cares about it enough to want to help the writer improve. If a reader cared about the fic, they wouldn't tell the writer to redo the work with their own preferences (ie, the reader's fave ships, tropes, whatever) (see the first above). At that point, what the reader wants is a different fic (see the second above), not to help this writer make their fic stronger. And if a reader dislikes the fic, its subject matter, whatever, then why would they waste their time giving concrit? They're just having a bad time and will probably not be able to provide concrit in good faith (see the second above).

If you're seeking concrit of your ask, and please do forgive me if you aren't, I'd gently suggest reading the original posts I reblogged more carefully. They make no mention of concrit. Also, they are not about coddling anyone, or even being kind. They're about readers using their most valuable resource- their time- more wisely, and also valuing the time of writers.

If you want concrit of your work, please indicate such in your fic, and also join a writing group. Most folks online don't have the free time or training to provide meaningful concrit, which will center on actual writing issues (pacing, management of exposition, cohesiveness of the narrative, etc). If someone is listing the ships and tropes they like and want to see in your fic in a review, that's not concrit. If someone is insulting your fic, that's not concrit. I'm sorry if you have accepted these things as concrit in the past. You deserve better- but also, you likely aren't going to find it for free, unless you have the incredible fortune of attracting a reader who loves your fic, has enough free time to engage deeply, and has some training in reviewing writing.

Meaningful concrit is a give and take thing. Expecting it for free is... A bit of an ask (although it does happen! I see you, review angels). So join a writing group that provides it, and give back in turn. Please don't hoist that expectation onto internet strangers. This kind of work is how you avoid resting on your laurels.

Oh, also, if you're looking for people to "tell you how bad your fic really was," there's... Probably a subreddit for that, assuming it hasn't imploded over the last few days. But again, "this fic is bad," is not concrit. That's... just an insult. If you want that, hey, go for it! But oh my goodness, please don't expect other people to want it in general. They don't. They really, really don't.

Best of luck to you on your writing journey.

#fanfiction #ask hidden

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dailypoetryforyou · 1 year

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Free writing tools and services

you don't need to spend a lot of money(or any) on expensive software or tools to improve your craft. There are plenty of free resources available online that can help you organize your thoughts, stay inspired, and enhance your writing skills. Here are some of the best free writing tools for poets that i use for free, i hope they help!

Google Docs - Google Docs is a free word processing software that allows you to create and edit documents online. It's a great tool for poets who want to organize their work into different files and access them from anywhere with an internet connection.(I'm sure most of you know it)

Grammarly - Grammarly is a free online grammar and spell-checker that can help you improve your writing skills. It can detect errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling, and also provides suggestions for more effective sentence structure.

Canva - Canva is a free design tool that allows you to create visually appealing images to accompany your poetry. You can choose from a variety of templates, fonts, and graphics to create eye-catching designs for social media or print.

Poets.org - Poets.org is a website that features articles, interviews, and poems from both new and established poets. It's a great resource for discovering new poets and staying up-to-date on the latest trends in poetry.(this is i found to be really great)

Duotrope - Duotrope is a free online database of literary magazines and journals that accept poetry submissions. You can use it to search for markets, track your submissions, and even get personalized submission recommendations based on your writing.

RhymeZone - RhymeZone is a free website that helps poets find rhyming words and synonyms for their poetry. It's a great tool for those who are struggling to find the perfect word to complete a line.

Poem-a-Day - Poem-a-Day is a free email subscription service that delivers a new poem to your inbox every day. It's a great way to discover new poets and stay inspired.

Writer's Digest - Writer's Digest is a free online resource that features articles, tips, and advice for writers of all kinds, including poets. You can find articles on everything from writing prompts to getting published.

Poet Assistant - Poet Assistant is a free mobile app that provides prompts, word suggestions, and other tools to help poets overcome writer's block and improve their writing.

WordPress - WordPress is a free blogging platform that allows you to create and publish your poetry online. You can customize your blog's design, share your work with a wider audience, and even connect with other poets through the platform's social features.

These free writing tools for poets can help you develop your writing skills, stay inspired, and connect with other writers. Give them a try and see how they can enhance your poetry writing journey!

#poetry on tumblr #writers of tumblr #writers and poets #new poets society #poets on tumblr #writing tool #writing resources #writing help #poems on tumblr #poetry #poems and poetry #writer problems #writing problems #writing advice

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wrathsofgrapes · 1 year

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Social Media, Sousveillance, and the Self (The Three S’s!) REVISED AND BASS BOOSTED

Preface: I posted this as a gaggle of thoughts some months ago, which you can see if you scroll down just a little bit on my blog. These thoughts were decently unorganized and months later, after slow broiling and marinating these thoughts some more, I decided to turn it into a real conjecture of sorts.

Very special thanks + shoutout to my philosophy professor Daniel Rodriguez-Navas for his careful, thoughtful, constructive, and encouraging guidance throughout the development this paper.

Most young people are socially expected to have a form of social media now, and especially expected to have some form of personal information be public. Many find it strange if one does not post photos of themselves online. Most of us, generation Z, are expected and encouraged to contribute to this massive user-curated database, and in exchange, we are able to receive more attention than what was previously fathomable in the form of likes, shares, and comments. This attention is addictive, debilitating, heart-wrenching and hyper-fixated. It has never been possible in human history to access this many people at once, to be heard by this many people and hear this many people. The digital space has never been “natural” - though depending on particular definitions of “natural”, the transhumanist may argue that the digital space is the next step in evolution; an extension of the human realm. But we were not eased into this digital realm, we were thrown, many of us at a very young age, into this realm with a violent and perverted amount of freedom, enticed by information overload and the addiction of attention. The societal over-exposure to the current climate and habits of social media platforms has had not only a detrimental effect on users’ physical health and self esteem, but has also created an uncanny simulacrum of the ways in which we interact and present ourselves with/to others in real life. The incorporation of social media in our everyday lives has solely transformed the ways in which we love, hate, cry and laugh, prioritize - at others and especially ourselves.

The new product of attention has become a pinnacle of desire; and we pay with sensation, with shock, with beauty and individuality. When these technological experiments first came out, our young, malleable, dissatisfied minds were the first to latch on. Our parents critiqued this, which made the project even more successful. But it is not a phase like our parents said it would be. They caved. All it took was a few years of normalization - advertising, attention, and they too, became hooked. A 2021 Pew research center study found that 91% of US adults aged 30-49 use online platforms, slightly decreasing in ages 50-64 with 83%, and 49% in adults aged 65 and up. We no longer even have an ancient antagonist to complain about “kids these days”. It has become all free and liberated, no shame in this addiction because the algorithms have improved, proved to be impenetrable in its strategy.

What we now value is increasingly impacted by the digital sphere, riddled with advertisements for particularly desirable lifestyles. With a life revolving so much around the aspect of the digital realm, and with the digital realm being created on the foundation of capital pursuit, value is no longer personal. Life and culture are no longer personal. The personal is no longer personal. Lee Artz, author of “Global Entertainment Media: A Critical Introduction” describes how world culture no longer stems from local cultures, created by people. Instead, TNMCs (TransNational Media Corporations) create a culture based off of the pursuit of production and wealth, skillfully peppered with some features of local culture for the sake of relatability and familiarity, sold under the guise of “cultural diversity”.

The transaction is subtle - we buy a fix of attention, a sense of connection in exchange for personal information, the more intimate the better. Post a photo of yourself - better if you are wearing less, better if you are doing something vulnerable, intimate, better with more controversy. A 2018 study by Bell, Cassarly and Dunbar examines the extent to which young women aged 18-24 posted self-images that were sexually suggestive and its correlation with the amount of “likes” and online engagement one would receive. The results concluded that this type of positive engagement on sexually suggestive photos encouraged young women to post more of them. As young people have been subject to this reward system for longer and whilst our young minds are still developing, we have a heightened sensitivity to this type of social reward. The oversharing of one’s sexuality and body essentially transfers ownership, or feeling of entitlement to the consumer, who possesses the power of encouraging it, or negatively engaging.

It’s not only sexualization that receives this engagement - the new phenomenon of oversharing personal information on the internet, especially now that less people are choosing to stay anonymous on the internet than ever before, has become essentially a new norm. Simply opening the Tik Tok app will present you with people in their homes, talking to the camera about intimate, vulnerable, and often embarrassing stories in full detail. The fascination with this seemingly raw and unfiltered form of content, or sexualized content, taps into a different type of perversion in the human psyche; this type of content, because it is in a way so humiliatingly honest, welcomes the most brutal responses. Though many love informational oversharing, with netizens commonly expressing that it makes them feel better about themselves, or relieved in its relatability, a 2022 study concluded that informational oversharing stems from anxiety and alienation from society, where people desperately try to find intimacy, attention, and relatability in their vulnerability. “Better to shock than to bore” - or relevance over irrelevance, has become the subconscious logic. Relevance is emphasized more than ever now, where even “normal” people have a fixation on “staying relevant”, much like a celebrity would traditionally have. The “digital footprint” is no longer about reservation or preservation, it is about sensation and impact. That’s the new age of fame, and it is stupidly easy, stupidly addictive.

I feel like this newfound addiction to attention and instant gratification has shifted our collective values. We value privacy much less, in favor of attention. Social media platforms have taught us that we can receive a great amount of attention, validation, and discourse just by trading one’s privacy, the value of which has been artificially decreased by TNMCs just as the value of fame/exposure has been artificially increased.

The strategy of self advertisement is now learned by young adolescents before, or even instead, of the strategies of self preservation and self protection. No real cyber literacy is taught - it is simply learned through experience. Older generations and very young children do not have the years of developmental experience infiltrated by the digital space to garner an awareness of the real-life-to-digital dissonance. The two are not as easily separable to someone naive to the difference of impact they have. The digital space gives one, in a way, the illusion of ultimate privacy, almost like it encourages the exploitation of your deepest vulnerabilities. You can tell your innermost secrets out loud, alone, in the comfort of your own room, and be heard and seen by millions. Accounts of very young children or older people often go viral because their personas online are often either the most vulnerable pure reflection of their reality, or they are presenting themselves in a very obviously curated way, where they naively act like how they think people on the internet should act. These types of accounts are almost always loved by the public in an exploitative or patronizing way, where the humor lies in the fact that they do not act on social media in the way that shows a sense of “getting it”, part of this dreadful post-ironic, terminally blasé attitude that has plagued those with experience-based, shame-based digital literacy. I propose that this attitude is formed out of self protection, or a need to present oneself as somebody who is impenetrable in vulnerability.

The internet is where anything is said mostly without real life consequences - and this is another large aspect of why the digital space is addictive. One gets addicted to the honesty, which coaxes you into delving into and producing opinions that one would not think of producing in real life. Because of this honesty, people often purposefully think of things to critique and reasons to attack. But this is also a product of the oppressive real-life social norms of courtesy and the overbearing expectation of niceness. The digital realm is, in a way, a solace where we can reject that. But that freedom of communication is simply on the other extreme end of the spectrum of healthy communication. The pendulum never stops in the healthy middle. I often like to think of all my social media comments as if they were being said to me, in person, by the people behind these profiles. They usually have photos of themselves publicly posted. They say vile things because I am not real. To them, and funny enough, oftentimes to myself as well, I am just a monkey that is dancing on the circuit board inside their phones, in their pocket, accessible at any time and able to be deleted at any time. I am so beautifully insignificant, so temporary, and yet it inexplicably gives me a sense of a permanent presence - a stable one, that will not fade. I am not immune to the fetishization of fame.

Schlosser identifies self presentation versus self disclosure; self presentation being a goal-oriented, strategic, and curated presentation of the self, with self disclosure being sharing factual information to another about oneself, regardless of its impact on one’s social reputation. She finds that the internet gives affordance for self disclosure due to the option of anonymity, but also discourages disclosure through unfiltered and open audience feedback. Through personal observation, I believe that the issue is more complex, and calls for a more nuanced discussion than whether social platforms promote or discourage presentation or disclosure - because this discussion suggests that there is no blurred line between the curated self and the objective self. Even in a non-social media context, it is hard to differentiate between genuine and performative behavior, since it is so hard for a subject to differentiate and admit to it. With how engrossed most people are within their digital selves, I will argue that it is all presentative - and that even content that feels like disclosure is self presentation. Is there really no motive in disclosure, as Schlosser puts it?

Maybe disclosure is innocence - a naieveté that is ironically revered and unironically feared. With the internet being an automatic concrete archive of one’s opinions and expression and a machine that almost always guarantees a consequence, there is a saying that has emerged in recent years: “be careful of what you say on the internet”. This is referring to the fear of getting “canceled” for saying something problematic, or to the possibility of publicly embarrassing oneself whether in action, speech or aesthetics. When people have an understanding of this ruthless internet system, everything one says and does on the internet is purposefully curated, with extra care in the desired effect of the content. Even when content is created for the purpose of self-degradation or self embarrassment for humor, it is still careful to not be too vulnerable, or too weird.

Referring back to my earlier observation of how content from young children or older people who do not necessarily “get” the internet often go viral, I think that maybe this form of simple, naive, innocent and vulnerable content is the only true disclosure that exists on the internet - unintentional disclosure. Unintentional disclosure also can come forth in times where one may try to present a lie to consumers, and are proven false. I believe that this is why these videos and posts go viral - we all truly do love disclosure. We love honesty and vulnerability, proof of humanness and unintentional subjects of endearment. I do believe that my current generation is striving for real human connection, closeness, and earnest communication in this epidemic of loneliness, spearheaded by the cave-like illusion of comfort that technology brings. We’re just scared - I know I am - because who wouldn’t be, as involuntary test subjects for mystifying technologies?

Altman and Taylor proposed the social penetration theory (SPT), where surface-level relationships can develop into much deeper ones, where the seal of intimacy gets penetrated, in a sense, through the sharing of personal information - self disclosure. The goal within self disclosure is social penetration, which is more present than ever in the context of social media, except social media does not give the affordance of other strategies to gain social penetration - such as a slow, gradual relationship, face-to-face contact, and mutual acknowledgement. Since content creators do not have these other affordances, I will argue that they feel the urge to go to extremes with a performance of self-disclosure, for the main goal of social penetration, creating parasocial relationships.

The parasocial relationship is the driving force of the use of influencers in modern day advertisement. Simulating intimate, honest relationships is what the content creator strives for, because that is what creates the most engagement and makes for the best product endorsements, encouraged and funded by TNMCs. It is what the consumer also loves to consume, because without the added aspects of social penetration such as a slow, gradual relationship, face-to-face contact, and mutual acknowledgement, the consumer is able to have a fundamentally not whole but idealized version of the curator, where the curator’s personality can seem much more wholesome, specified, honest and relatable than the personality of anyone that the consumer could know in real life.

The influencer blurs the line between “normal” person and celebrity. Celebrities used to be elusive creatures, where a sighting of them outside of a movie or magazine was considered fascinating - because celebrities used to be untouchable. They were Gods rarely among men and worshiped for their unapproachability. The influencer in the digital age has fundamentally transformed the concept of fame into one based not necessarily on traditional talent, but on social penetration, controversy, and very importantly, attractiveness. Even traditional celebrities are now, in recent years, joining social media platforms to engage with fans in a parasocial way - to show that celebrities are just like us! They eat food, shit it out, and have bad hair in the morning! We have all found out how profitable it is to be human - but not too human - that now, even the Gods have come down to earth to cash in.

Even if consumers are aware of these dynamics in their media consumption, they will still often choose to engage positively in this system. 54% of young Americans would even become an influencer themselves if given the chance, because of how it is advertised and idealized. The parasocial relationship has created a simulation of what a person should be, due to the lack of affordances for actual human connection whilst simulating a version of human connection that is advertised as better than a real human connection - but I will argue that in reality, digital social penetration, or maybe even the illusion of it, fails to satisfy real social needs, but instead of this dilemma spurring people to seek out in-person connections, the instant and effortless gratification of a digital parasocial relationship makes users simply seek out a surplus of it.

My image, or at least the image I carefully project, has been seen by millions. Millions now have a specific perception of me - two-dimensional and dictated by an altered fraction of my legitimate self, locked in time. But what is the legitimate self? The digital age has created a larger gray area in the concept of “self” and “individual”, widening the hole that capitalism has created, where one is not only a product, but a walking advertisement. We now express and define the self through sousveillance, and often do not know ourselves without it. The self has come to be defined as the density and reaction of digital perception. Sometimes people no longer know who they are after their popularity leaves them. Late stage capitalism, bass-boosted by new technologies, has made individuals to be solely defined by reaction - because reaction is what creates transaction, what creates currency, whether it be a fix of mental gratification or actual money. I cannot think of anyone who would possibly like to admit it, but there is certainly a present attitude of “if you don’t exist online, do you even exist? Why wouldn’t you want to be online?” Why wouldn’t you want to partake in this addictive algorithm, endless scrolling, information overload, stimulation overload, and the promise of attention? You are weird if you don’t.

With the value of personal information going up, and the value of privacy going down, with people believing that they are so insignificant that their information does not matter - I will refrain from using that as a main talking point. The promotion and investment into the advancement of social technologies almost feels like state-funded propaganda, but I also will not get into that talking point in fears of sounding like a crazed conspiracy theorist. The main issue is how it has shifted our entire social attitude, and has deeply affected the social dynamics of communities and circles in real life. Human connection is strained by image and obsession. It is strained from a disembodiment of the self and the environment. We now have to control our social lives online (transcending location and social boundary) as well as our social lives in real life. Because of how personal one’s social page seems, and how unintimidating and easy it is to contact anyone, there is no secrecy left. And some of the world’s greatest stories revolve around the beauty of secrecy.

This conjecture is not just to say that everybody should return to analog, and that the digital age has not had its glorious moments - but social media tries to convince you that the main purpose of your patronage to their platform is connection, fun, and inspiration, while the purpose is really all capital. And because we, the 21st century, have become test subjects for these new, cruel, untested technologies, there was truly no restriction or boundary on who was deemed able to access essentially this panopticon of positive/negative reinforcement, and content from every dark crevice of the world. This promotion of self exploitation has wedged its way into being a priority for many. Friends become friends and lovers become lovers based on aesthetics, image, and attraction. The curation of a profile is just as important as the curation of the real self. The curation of a profile becomes the self. The line between who one is online and in real life is becoming more and more blurred; people try to mold themselves to act in the way they are able to online. Online, one is free to lust and lie and hate and obsess and love. Online, one can be confident, sexy, loud, carefully vulnerable, relentlessly controversial, smart, beautiful, mysterious, careless, carefree, detached, ethereal and unreal. But maybe humans were not meant to be all of those things, all at once.

Author’s note: If you read to the end of this, thank you, and if you’d like access to the bibliography please PM me! I would have liked to make this longer - there’s so many things I could have gone on and on about. I’d also love to hear any comments or questions or general feedback.

#social networks #social media #philosophy #sousveillance #surveillance #instagram #tiktok #digital literacy #media literacy #theory #social media addiction #attention economy #parasocial relationships #panopticon #influencers #cyber literacy #sociology #anthropology

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ashintheairlikesnow · 1 year

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As a new writer who wants to post my content online, I often struggle with fear of how my work will be perceived. I know criticism is inevitable and that some criticism is necessary, but it's still kind of scary. Any advice on how to work with this fear?

Kind of? I find what is most helpful is the ability to discern between criticism that is actually criticizing the work to any extent vs. criticism that is just someone wanting to cause emotional pain.

I have received plenty of both.

I learned, through time and experience, to discard the latter. Consider it like Anon hate, as it often comes from the same basic root. Someone who just wants to make an internet stranger sad, and is screeching for attention about it. The best thing you can do is delete, block, and move on without responding or even, if possible, acknowledging it existed. Anon hate and uselessly hostile criticism isn't about you at all, it is a statement about the person sending it. I found making that distinction really important and freeing.

For useful criticism, it is worth taking the time to really consider it. There is value there! Does this criticism contain advice that can help you improve? For instance, "Hey, I loved the plot but had a hard time telling apart the characters" tells you that it can help to work on developing unique voices/mannerisms for your OCs. That's good to know! File that away, and consider it in the future.

It doesn't mean that your writing is bad, or you should stop. Just that you have found a thing that needs some polishing.

Good criticism also is not a statement about you as a person. It is just a tool you can use to climb a little higher. Think of constructive criticism like trying to build a house and having someone give you a hammer. Great, now you have one more tool to use! How awesome of that person to help you out.

Keep that in mind, and you'll be able to handle that criticism much more easily.

#writing advice #writing

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izicodes · 1 year

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Improving Your Work Ethic

I had a meeting with my manager on Friday on three key skills I need to look out for when working. She said being in school/apprenticeship and working in a company are two different situations. There are skills you only learn by working in a team with real-life projects. She mentioned; Work Ethic, Communication and Time Management.

I decided I would talk about each one and give tips that she mentioned and others I found out myself and over searching online. This post will be about improving your work ethic. The advice my manager gave is from a Senior Software Developer's point of view but the advice can be carried over to other industries you work in!

What is Work Ethic?

Work ethic refers to the values and principles that guide how a person approaches their work or responsibilities. It involves having a positive attitude, being diligent, and demonstrating a strong commitment to doing your best.

Imagine that school project you had to complete. Having a good work ethic means that you approach the project with enthusiasm and dedication. It means taking responsibility for completing your work on time and putting in the necessary effort to produce high-quality results!

Tips To Improving Your Work Ethic

This is a long list but worth while to think upon! Here are all of the tips that my manager gave me and some extra notes I made afterwards:

Understand Expectations

Do you know what is expected of your role and responsibilities at work? If you don’t, you need to. Not just what the job description said when you applied but directly from your team manager or your boss!

Be Punctual

Arrive on time for meetings, scrums, and work-related commitments. Being punctual demonstrates respect for others' time and shows your dedication to the team.

Meet Deadlines

If you know me, you’ll know I struggle with this a lot. Consistently meet the deadlines for your tasks and projects. Plan and prioritize your work to ensure timely delivery. If you’re struggling with the project/work somewhere, ask for help.

Take Initiative

Show initiative by seeking opportunities to contribute beyond your assigned tasks. Take ownership of challenges, propose solutions, and actively participate in team discussions. I like this because I always come up with new add ons a project!

Be Accountable

Take responsibility for your actions and outcomes. Admit and learn from mistakes, and avoid making excuses. It may be hard but just say you messed up and it won’t happen again.

Practice Self-Discipline

Develop self-discipline to stay focused and motivated in your work. Minimize distractions and maintain a strong work ethic even when faced with challenging tasks. This is why if you struggle with this, do a Studyblr study challenge to stay on track and be motivated!

Be Proactive In Learning

Continuously expand your knowledge and skills by staying updated with the latest industry trends and technologies. Seek out learning opportunities and take advantage of professional development resources. Especially in my field of Tech, something new is happening all the time! My workplace gave us Pluralsight for free so we can be studying on the site as we work!

Communicate Effectively

Work on your communication skills to convey information clearly and professionally. Keep your team members, stakeholders or anyone necessary informed about your progress, challenges, and achievements!

Get Feedback

Actively seek feedback from your teammates, supervisors, and mentors. Constructive criticism can be good, see it as an opportunity for growth and improvement!

Collaborate Effectively

Practise positive and productive collaboration with your team members. Contribute to team discussions, listen actively, and support others when needed.

Be Adaptable

Changes at work, project or whatever can be scary, and sometimes quite annoying, however, embrace change! Be open to new ideas, technologies, and processes. Learn to adapt quickly to shifting priorities and evolving project requirements!

Take Care Of Your Well-Being

Prioritize your physical and mental well-being. I had a time when I was mentally stressed from my apprenticeship, I took a week-long holiday off and rested at home. You should maintain a healthy work-life balance, manage stress effectively, and take breaks when needed. You're not you when you're tired, mentally strained and hungry...!

Reflect And Improve

Regularly reflect on your work ethic and areas for improvement. Set personal goals and actively work towards enhancing your work ethic over time.

Improving your work ethic is an ongoing process that requires self-awareness, discipline, and a commitment to personal growth. Some people can do it alone whilst other people need a little push, such as myself and my manager.

Think over the tips I gave and see how you can change things to improve your own work ethic. If you're not working, this can be applied to a school setting or something you can be wary of when looking to start working!

Hope this helped you and thanks for reading! 👩🏾‍🎓💗

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