Twitter, before it became ‘X’ was a crucial and important platform for me to connect with fellow educators, collaborate and learn about key issues from experts using social media as a way to make their work more accessible. Not only that, in the past, the platform has been vital in helping me find community.
#GeographyTeachers – one of the more vibrant and supportive educator communities on the platform. That hashtag has been used to geek-out and be joyous about the love in teaching about the planet and share ideas. I’ve been able to stay connected and collaborate with Geography folks that I already knew, but also build new relationships with those I had yet to meet in person. There is nothing quite like “putting a face to the username” when events and conferences come around.
#TrekTwitter hashtag was vibrant while the platform was known as ‘Twitter’, less so now, but I’ve had so many giggles, geek-outs and affirmations thanks to bonding with people in that community. Being a Sci-Fi nerd, particularly Star Trek, is quite an important part of my identity, one which allows me some healthy escapism and hope for the future. Quite a few folks in that community I’ve now had the pleasure of becoming good friends with, even meeting up with some in person. It’s allowed me and so many others to interact with cast and crew that bring Star Trek to life, not just to celebrate the fiction, but affirm and explore feelings how the art mimics reality and speaks truth to current affairs. Crickey, I even got quoted (and followed) by Jeri Ryan!
Finally, I’ve made a lot of queer connections and friends through the platform, and found a lot of strength and hope seeing so many folks in that particular community standing in solidarity together and speaking their truth despite relentless hate and attacks.
Ignoring the rasping chirps And Clipped Wings
Twitter was never a perfect platform. It’s reporting system was broken, the algoritms rarely meant queer-phobic posts were rarely taken down or their poster punished. The ‘block’ function was used liberally just to keep my feed and my comments clean of trolls and harmful messages. However, at the very least the vilest of accounts were banned and off the platform, including ones which had 10K+ followers that could cause a rabid pile-on to your account if they sent their followers on you. It’s been obvious to many and widely reported how much worse the platform became since a certain billionaire took it over.
First, those influencer troll accounts were unbanned, and certain individuals were welcomed back. Fine, ok, I’ll just have to keep up with the blocking…
I found myself spending more time blocking trolls and doomscrolling than actually engaging with the things that interest me or gave me joy. Less time on a #GeographyTeacher thread about a new GIS method to explore volcanic eruptions, and more time blocking accounts publishing posts (and the folks liking/retweeting those posts) calling me a ‘groomer’ or ‘pedophile’ for having pronouns in my bio. Less time discussing with the #TrekTwitter folks whether Season 3 of Star Trek Discovery is better than Season 2, and more time countering false claims about climate science or trans healthcare. You get the idea… But the platform remained a important place for me to alert followers to new blog posts, podcast episodes, resources, events etc… so I stuck it out.
‘X’ Marked the Spot Where the Twitter-Bird Laid Dead
The last few months have see a number of ‘proposed changes’ to the platform which for me is now the final straw. I was already uncomfortable that every scroll of the platform loaded another bizarre, often inappropriate, advertisement – where I heard the ‘cha-ching!!!’ noise of a little more cash going into Musk’s coffers. Then of course there’s the guy’s political and social rhetortic. It’s as if as though the steering tracking is off. Musk might have took his hands off the wheel as ‘X’s CEO, but now his Telsa is slowly veering off to the Right, and Right it continues inevitiably leading to a car-crash. He’s endorsement of a facist, his anti-trans rhetroic, his complete disregard for scientific integrity… whatever… I just feel that remaining on that platform, no matter what it did for me in the past, is no longer ethical.
From the end of October, I’ll no longer be posting on ‘X’. And by the end of the year, my account will be closed. So folks who wish to stay in touch via social media have effectively got until then to link up with me elsewhere.
Where I’m Migrating, And What to Follow Me For
More Personal and geeking-out: BlueSky & Mastodon
I’m liking BlueSky quite a bit at the moment and will probably end up using that more than Mastodon for all things personal and geeky. It may come down to me using one platform more than the other.
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/geogramblings.com
Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@KitsuneMarie
More Professional: Instagram, Facebook, Threads, LinkedIn
Since ‘Meta’ links Facebook, Instagram and Threads, following me on any of those three will ensure you stay up to date with my work, resources etc… I also am trying my best to be a bit more active on LinkedIn too.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kitrackley.geogramblings
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geogramblings/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@kitrackley.geogramblings
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-rackley
As always, you can follow me and get in touch here, via my ‘Life Geographic’ blog. This ain’t going anywhere any time soon!
Thank you! All my education work via the Geogramblings’ “Life Geographic” blog is done all in my spare time, at my own cost but is free for you to access and enjoy. If you can spare a few pence, I’d be delighted if you could show your thanks by ‘buying me a coffee‘.
Geogramblings 
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