Live Performances

Sunday May 4 6-8 PM The Serpent Herders at Dalee, Taos NM

Wednesday May 7 6-9 PM solo at The Taos Inn, Taos NM

Sunday May 18 6-9 PM The Serpent Herders at The Taos Inn, Taos NM

Wednesday May 21 6-9 PM solo at The Taos Inn, Taos NM

Thursday May 29 7 PM solo at Sunset Series No. 29:  Taos Covers Taos, Vol 1 at the Taos Community Auditorium, Taos NM

Friday May 30 6-9 PM solo at The Taos Inn, Taos NM

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Musings – Why I Left Social Media

I have long questioned the value of social media in my own life. Its designed to be addictive, and I don’t remember ever coming away from a scrolling session thinking it had been a good use of my precious time.

However, it wasn’t until I read The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher that I learned what a pervasive negative impact these platforms have had around the world. His book talks about how Facebook algorithms played direct roles in phenomena such as the genocide of the Rohingya in Myanmar, conspiracy theories about vaccines causing microcephaly in Brazil, and the spread of false narratives that led to the January 6 insurrection.

Once I started paying attention, I came across disturbing headlines and news stories regularly. A few examples:

“Instagram and Facebook Blocked and Hid Abortion Pill Providers’ Posts” – New York Times

“Instagram Hides Search Results for ‘Democrats’” – BBC

“Revealed: Gambling Firms Secretly Sharing Users’ Data with Facebook Without Permission” – The Guardian

I learned that Meta (the corporation that owns Facebook and Instagram) donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, and they were also corporate sponsors of this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll. The day after the inauguration, Instagram suggested I follow Trump, Melania, and JD Vance. Um, no thanks.

A book written by a former Facebook employee tells about how the company collected data on teenage girls who had deleted selfies and targeted them with beauty product and weight loss ads.

A horse trainer I know used Facebook as the main platform for her business, which included video lessons and classes, and when she got hacked she immediately lost most of her income. When she tried to contact Facebook for help she hit dead end after dead end.

I know there are lots of positive aspects to social media. People use it to get the word out about their causes, promote their businesses, keep in touch with friends and family, buy and sell stuff, and connect with people in their communities. I got our dog Hank a ride from a shelter in San Antonio to Taos by putting a post on Facebook (thanks Pattie and Jayni!). I’ve been able to promote my musical endeavors. I discovered so many independent yarn producers on Instagram that I never would have heard of otherwise.

I’ve also wasted countless hours that could have been spent playing music, reading, knitting, riding horses, wandering around in the woods…

At the end of the day, I just can’t stomach it anymore. Mark Zuckerberg does not have our best interests at heart. He and his organization are only concerned with money and power. These platforms have become so ubiquitous that we can’t imagine our lives without them, even if we are aware of the harm they cause to individuals and societies. When I tell people I’m leaving social media they usually look at me like I’m insane.

But we don’t have to participate. In the words of Robin Wall Kimmerer, “Let’s create something different, something aligned with our values. We don’t have to be complicit.”

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Thank you for reading the first installment of my monthly newsletter! This is very much a work in progress and we’ll see how it evolves. If there are things you’d be interested in reading about (anecdotes about my little off-grid homestead in the mountains, my motley crew of four-legged friends, what I’m reading, what I’m knitting, etc) please let me know.