Life After Twitter

TheodenThree and 1/2 days in bed left me cut off from news and social media.

The flu made reading impossible, scrolling unbearable. It was exactly what I needed.

I decided to start social media/medical politics rehab.

All addicts need conviction, a resolve to stick with treatment. So, I sat down to write a blog about political addiction:

“The Ontario Liberals first attacked doctors in 2012 with a 5% cut…“

That sent me howling down 2 long paragraphs reminding everyone about tyranny and usurpation.

This is not healthy.

A battery of Google alerts on medical issues fills my inbox twice a day. I scan Twitter feeds, Facebook, LinkedIn, and medical blogs. Every day, I review comprehensive news-scans from two large organizations.

When I wake up in the middle of the night, I can’t resist a quick peek to see if anything new came in on my smart phone.

It needs to stop.

Content Creation vs. Consumption

Citizens must protest stupid political decisions. Power and control corrupts, even while we sleep. But expression makes us more interested in the topic we rant about. We risk spending more time reading-searching-debating the issues, than making noise.

Doctors should keep making a fuss. The government is wrong. They should not cut spending on medical services every year since 2012. Patient care is suffering (see clinics closed). If anything, docs have been way too quiet.

But it takes more than doctors.

Hopefully, the courts will declare this unjust. When they do, it will be too late. Judges need another 3 years to figure this out, and the government will need another year to settle on a process. Throw in an election, or some other distraction, and this could take 3-5 years before we see any justice.

So by 2021, we will have suffered under cuts, claw backs and caps for 9 years. Medicine cannot recover from that. At least I can’t.

Life after Twitter

In 2012, experts advised, Get on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook – anything you like – just get the word out there.

Social media runs on dialogue, comments, likes, and re-tweets. It takes time, a tonne of it. It feels great to meet others on social media. But it fills your brain; complicates life.

It is time to manage the addiction. While AA suggests total abstinence, I decided to try a modified approach:

  1. Stop Google alerts.
  2. Delete my news feed app.
  3. Unsubscribe to blogs I never read.
  4. Focus on content creation.
  5. Drastically reduce, retweets, likes, shares, etc.
  6. And the hardest one: delete my Twitter, Facebook & messenger apps from my phone.

After a mild tremor and stomach upset on the 1st day, I feel a bit more settled, 24 hrs into rehab. Recidivism rates are high, so do not judge me if I slip up.

What makes us change our thinking, anyways? Does the logic hidden in a 140-character tweet do it?

I will keep blogging. It helps me think, and I love hearing from thoughtful readers. They teach me. But news and social media have to decrease.

Overly polite responses to self-serving politicians waste our time. Let’s just call it, without being rude or gratuitously blunt. People will respect us, even if it makes some colleagues cringe.

We need to tell politicians, over and over,

Enough already. Tell the truth. Honour your commitments. Obey the law.

Saying more, no matter how fun, or addictive, probably doesn’t change much. There is life after Twitter.

photo credit: lotr.wikia.com

20 thoughts on “Life After Twitter”

  1. Hahaha! Great post! The first step admitting you need help! You need to inform your enablers that we mustn’t goad you!
    GET WELL SOON!

  3. Insightful! The only thing I worry about is – if we dont retweet our colleagues’s posts about this whole thing with the Govt, our fight will die a natural death. I dont have a lot of time for content creation- so I resort to retweets (much as I prefer the content creation)!
    Love your posts! Keep writing!

    1. Great comment, Raji!

      Maybe I should have emphasized to do what works for you? Retweets are powerful. If you can manage them, great! I was drowning… Thanks for your encouragement!

    1. You mean your witicisms are exceptional, right?

      🙂

      I’ve been checking Twitter and Facebook on my laptop, but it’s no where near as easy as it used to be on my smartphone. So, as long as I don’t start walking around with my laptop, I think this might add some healthy balance.

      Keep up the witicisms! 🙂

  5. Great post. I think a lot of people are suffering from social media fatigue. It does kind of creep up on a person and take over large amounts of precious time. But sounds like you have a good plan in the works. Hope you get over that terrible flu bug soon – not fun.

  6. Yep. Agreed. We are sucked in and it takes a good, hard, conscious effort to keep ourselves grounded in what REALLY matters. Our lives are inundated with new information coming into our phones or computers all of the time. For those of us who love that kind of exciting change/news, it can really grab us. Way to cleanse! 🙂 Sorry you were sick, though….

  7. I wish you well in your recovery Shawn – from both the flu and social media addiction. You have done an enormous amount to spur those of us not blessed with your command of English to read and sometimes even make sensible comments on Medical Politics and many other topics via the handy retweet button. I agree the politicians (and BUREAUCRATS) don’t listen but be assured that others have heard and will not forget your wise words.
    Personally I do find abstinence is best – however I do admit to some late night (or middle of night) binging. My husband does try to get me to stop – by emailing from the bedroom. I think that is probably 1/4 on CAGE.
    On a sort of serious note I think resolution number 6 is essential. However you may find that it results in emails from your spouse at unusual hours 🙂
    Thank you Shawn

    1. Thank you, Helen! Very witty comments (CAGE, middle of the night, etc.)…made me smile for sure. 🙂

      Two days into this, I have decreased tweets by about 95% and tried to avoid getting too caught up in Facebook discussions (not easy!). I’m enjoying an emptier email inbox. Only a post viral cough remains from my flu.

      Thanks again for reading and taking time to share a comment!

      Cheers

      Shawn

  8. Get well soon Shawn!
    Not sure you will ever give up your love and enthusiasim
    for what you “tweet”;you make an EXCELLENT contribution
    of what ever you write and “tweet”
    Warm Regards!!

    1. Thank you Shelly!

      I sure appreciate you taking time to read and offer encouragement.

      Please keep up all your efforts on social media! It makes a difference.

      Best,

      Shawn

    2. This is a bit rambling but I would rather get this out than spend time editing it. I was not happy to read this blog, my friend although I do understand where you are coming from. Perfectionists are just do that.

      I was encouraged to get onto Twitter in 2012 during the previous struggle with the Ontario government and I am thrilled to have this “hobby”. I have definitely come to feel that it is very important for older fellows like us to get the word out to younger colleagues who have not seen the politics of medicine evolve over a really long period of time. We also have the experience to deal with some the equivocations coming from politicians and their staff.

      In the short time that I have come to know you I can understand how much effort and time you must commit to the blog, medical organization politics and acquiring knowledge in general. Isn’t it crazy to get burned out by our avocations as well as vocations? Find your balance. You can’t do everything.

      Shawn, I want to make it very clear that you have made a big difference in this fight with the government both in 2012 and again now. When someone learns an idea or phrase that comes from reading your blogs, tweets, Facebook comment or Medical Post articles, your effort continues and is multiplied through others just like a teacher’s efforts are continued forever through their “followers”.

      “That sent me howling down 2 long paragraphs reminding everyone about tyranny and usurpation.”

      That is a good thing not a bad thing. Your rants are to the point, refreshing and inspiring.

      You said, “But expression makes us more interested in the topic we rant about. We risk spending more time reading-searching-debating the issues, than making noise.”

      There is plenty of noise coming from empty barrels, Shawn. That is why we need calm, rational, dedicated and knowledgeable people like you. That is one of the joys of social media. Without someone literally in front of you, there is time to research your responses and make the interaction much more useful.

      I am hoping that you are suffering from a short episode of post-viral depression and when your energy comes back, you will find yourself looking for more to do again. Once a workaholic, always a workaholic. Adrenaline can only carry you so long so you will find something more manageable than what you have been doing for the last few years..

      I am glad to have met you on Twitter three years ago. You may recall that when I say to my wife that I was discussing something with Shawn, he reply is “Oh, yes. The really really good writer.” I will read your blogs avidly and bug you with comments. And when you drop by Twitter, there are lots of us eagerly waiting to read your comments.

      Gerry

      1. Wow, Gerry. I sure appreciated that… You packed encouragement and gentle rebuke into one, dense note. Thank you!

        Of course, you are right. We all need to keep in this. Everyone needs to speak up. Arbitrarily stopping a whole line of communication seems a bit drastic.

        I always tell doctors, who are new to medical politics, “You cannot be an expert on medical politics. You can become an expert about one issue, but you will never learn enough to be an expert on everything.” Doctors hate this. We want to get an A on the exam.

        Again, I sure appreciate you taking time to share your thoughts, Gerry. You know how much I value your opinions. For what it’s worth, I still check in to Twitter on my laptop a few times each day. But I have resisted retweeting, searching, getting into conversations, etc…at least until I feel I can do it in moderation. 🙂

        And you are right: there was probably an element of post-viral weakness-depression-malaise. I lost 9 lbs in 5 days, without GI symptoms – just fever and anorexia.

        Thanks so much for all you do. I sure appreciate you taking time to read, comment, and keep us all sane. Please keep doing it!

        Best regards,

        Shawn

  9. So this is what you call life after Twitter, Shawn: “check in to Twitter on my laptop a few times each day”? LOL!

    Since I know that you may be reading some of my tweets I will have to continue to be vigilant with my grammar, my friend.

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