This is a thread.
I left Twitter years ago because it a principal catalyst in destroying my mental health. I came back because I made my living on social media, largely by being a "bluecheck."
Going back was not great. Elon showing up to accidentally destroy it was the perfect moment for me to leave for good, so I did.
I set up a new Mastodon account on a new instance and had a great time with about 350 mutuals (people I followed that followed me as well).
1/X
I fell in love with Mastodon in this time. There wasn't a lot going on, so I could go days without checking in. It really helped me deal with compulsive cycles of social media usage.
But more than that, there was a culture around mental health here. People were intentional about not turning their feeds into a torrent of neurological activation. CWs offered a respite and became the norm because so many people here are disabled, queer, have mental illness, etc.
2/x
But, I also noticed despite all the intersections of identity that could function here in a way that could not on corporately controlled platforms, the Fediverse in general, and Mastodon in particular, were incredibly white.
That is always an alarm bell for me as someone who has committed their life to the work of antiracism.
3/x
@mike
Thank you so much for directly addressing this issue. I'm a brown woman who literally got here yesterday, and thought I'd noticed this dynamic but obviously did not have enough information to confirm.
Addressing this issue thoughtfully and flexibly, and soon, is critical. I've already seen POCs and marginalized persons comment that they've been muted/silenced here. Striking a balance is necessary.
Mike McHargue
Just Alice