I was just looking through Facebook a moment ago, usually I do this before I go ahead and make a post, it's something I do to get inspiration for my next piece. People rarely realise it but they are inspirational to me. I write about the challenges of everyday life and by viewing the real struggles of real people it helps me gather content in my mind. I'm losing that ability on Facebook now. I'm sort of realising how much it gives me that I'm not interested in. It's also making me realise how much nonsense my friends talk on a daily basis. Having an early night and going to your bed is really not interesting. Why the hell would you share something like that? The more I hang on Steemit the quicker I'm realising the bubble that Facebook is creating for me. I am aware of the bubble, and the echo chambers, and the advertising, but Jesus, the bubble is strong with Facebook.

The existence of Facebook

It's caused me to contemplate the future existence of Facebook, their business model, the way it has users interacting with each other, or not, if that's what happens. One thing that seriously gets on my tits is that Facebook chooses what to show me and what not to show me. I have forgotten about friends and pages that REALLY interest me because it has taken it away from my newsfeed. This is something I am bitterly passionate about. If I subscribe to a friend then I damn well want to see every update from them, not just what Facebook thinks I want to hear. My friends are important to me, I've created a life with a lovely little family which means I don't often go out and get to see them. Their updates, however mundane, and even although I took the piss in my last paragraph, they do interest me on some level.

When I first lost my job due to cutbacks I spent a while escaping from reality. I was upset because I really did love that job with all my heart. I was able to work with the most disconnected people of society and use my very warm personality to 'teach them how to fish' as a friend once put it. I took to Political debate groups over Facebook in an attempt to continue the work that I was doing; even now, as you can tell in my writing, I am still trying to cling onto the feeling of connection rather than one of division. What I discovered very quickly, and very rapidly is that people weren't listening. Not in the slightest. People only wanted to hear what they had to say in an effort to change my mind. Perhaps I wasn't listening too? I mean who am I to judge. I did try, though. What also became rapidly, and abundantly clear was the way Facebook had devised its platform. It had been devised for connection but was actually creating division on a horrendous scale.

Connection, but in chains

When we think of world connection, we think of the large sites such as Facebook and Twitter, but actually, they are 'playing to our needs' in a sense that they are creating connection but no more or less than we would do in real life. People have pocketed off into their little social groups, speak to the same people, and rarely traverse outside their bubble, like we do in real life. That is not forward thinking, nor is it regressive thinking, it is trapping us in a state of enslavement. The platforms are our masters, not the other way around.

Steemit to the rescue!

Then comes along Steemit. A platform for all people of all walks of life to come together in a big mesh to connect with one another. People can upvote and downvote, and use all the necessary controls to keep a voice out of their viewpoint if they so wish. I'm seeing a lovely trend here. I'm seeing people come together from all walks of life to incentivise each other, my voice, somehow, I feel, is finally having an impact. People are finally playing to their strengths on here regardless of their differences. Let's be clear, I am very aware of the bubble that I can create for myself on Steemit, but I can view every post from every person that I follow. People are interesting on here; people are trying. I remember that post that received $17k in rewards, and, the wallet tips he received from every and any person. I loved that. I really, really loved that. The beautiful thing to me was that because I've witnessed such indifference on a horrible scale on Facebook. I'm one for donating to every charity raiser that my friends put up, but do they receive much traction? Nope. I started a fundraiser for my friend once that had no food, and not one person felt the need to donate. Here, it's a different kettle of fish.

We be the hillbilly's of the internet. Not for long!

We may be sitting in the backwaters of the internet right now but I feel an uprising of awesomeness coming very, very soon, perhaps within the next two years. I've tried, believe me I've tried to get my friends interested in this place but their indifference is striking. People are so hardwired to think in terms of safety and familiarity that anything out of the normal scares them. I guess, in a few years they'll probably be kicking themselves. I'm slowly and surely spending less time on that place. I feel a shift in my personality. Even though I have hated Facebook for so many years there has never been anything that has come close to, in my mind, the same platform. Here I may have found something, I think I may have found my new home. A place to voice my opinions freely and have them being heard, properly, and not through filters, or whatever.

Thanks for reading!