thinking back on what I’ve wanted to write about this week, I have kind of a half-formed idea, but I want to do some more research before I commit to writing that because as it sits now I donut have much to say on it!

so this week, I’ve opted to do something low-effort!! lists can be blogs too!!! basically, I had a rough week and now it’s your problem!

stuff I think people should do more:

♡ go outside

look i know we all say “touch grass hehe” like it’s some kind of dismissive “gotcha!” but in all seriousness, sometimes I think we forget that the people on the other side of the screen are human beings just like we are, not computer programs or simulations, but living, breathing human beings with thoughts and feelings, etc. If even my antisocial ass can go in my apartment’s front lawn and see a bird and feel the sun on my face and feel better, then I know it would help some of you dorks as well. there is a whole big world outside!

♡ surf the web

for those of you too young to understand what that term means - first off, wtf are you doing here? not in a like “get out” way but in a genuine, why are you interested in this website way lmao - I mean like visiting a bunch of random websites. there is more to the internet than the big four or whatever SNS. not to sound like a cranky old person but coughs back in my day! we visited a bunch of different websites! it was super rare to be on the same website every day unless it was your own or a site you and some friends ran! step out of your walled garden and get some fresh air - online and in real life.

♡ read books

like actual books, they don’t have to be physical books, they can be ebooks or even audiobooks, but like. read actual longform media. i mean honestly even manga would be fine as long as you’re reading words. no thought worth communicating could be said in 144 characters or whatever their stupid limit is these days.

♡ stop following influencers

when I first became interested in makeup as an adult (I was not allowed to wear much if any as a teenager lest I become what my parents termed a “painted whore”), I started following “beauty gurus” on youtube to learn how to use all these products I was buying. Over time, I developed a parasocial interest in these people, it also felt weird to say to other people “oh thanks I learned it from a youtuber” so I’d just say “thanks a friend showed me how to do it,” which feels innocent and innocuous enough, but really subconsciously did a number on me. influencers don’t know you! they don’t feel the way you might feel about them at all because they literally don’t know you from Adam!

I’m sure for a lot of you that seems pretty obvious, but even if you do consume influencer content mindfully and are aware of the dangers of parasocial relationships, maybe try evaluating how you feel after watching that kind of stuff. I tried doing that as part of my therapy, trying to figure out what I enjoyed doing and didn’t, and I realized that I never really felt good after watching influencer content! Whatever makeup I already had felt like the wrong kind, or not good enough, basically the whole thing is just an ad - you’re choosing to watch ads. That’s sad and weird and fucked up, don’t do that. Be more mindful of what you watch and look at, in general.

♡ for fuck’s sake, please I am begging you to install an adblocker

if I have to use another friend’s computer to do anything and I open their web browser and am greeted by the slop covering every single website these days I’m gonna put one of you in my teeth and shake you from side to side so hard it will obliterate all of your bones why do you subject yourself to this stop it.

♡ plan anything ever

maybe this speaks more to my IRL friend group but it is super annoying sometimes when people say they want to do something with you so you go ok let’s schedule it and they’re like “yeah whenever” so you have to pick something. I have learned the hard way that this noncommittal can sometimes mean they are just saying it to be nice, which, how neurotypical of you to communicate in doublespeak, thanks for that. You can just tell me you don’t want to hang out I’m not a child I won’t cry I promise (and if I do it’s not your problem anyway). Also this is partially a self-read because I am 100% that person who (since my time is mostly open, being disabled and subject to the whims of my body) will sometimes not say a specific time because I am worried that it won’t work for someone else and then the thing gets planned and people don’t show up anyway. Why do people even respond to events with “yeah I’m interested! I’ll be there!” and then not show up you know you can ignore the notification or not mark yourself as coming right? right?

anyway thanks for listening to my ramble of some stuff I think people should do more. there’s always more things I could add to this list but today we are embracing chaos and just sending it out as it is because we are what? learning! in! public! and sometimes! phoning! it! in!

I guess I just felt like being noncommittal this week, it’s been kinda crazy for me (guess who missed some doses this past week it was me! ). Sorry for the low effort I’ll try to do better next time