Social Media is a funny old place. I’m slowly learning not to voice opinions on X (formerly known as Twitter) as there are some very nasty people out there. Troll is the term, I believe. Sometimes the most innocent comment can result in a tirade of bile from a stranger on the other side of the world. Or just a few miles down A12. I have recently learned to love Mute and Block. Rather than dignify their comments with a reply and get into a to and fro of insults I just wipe them off the face of my X with great delight. Block, block, block! Mute, mute, mute! I find it rather therapeutic. Life is dismal enough without the bleakness, insults and stupidity of some posts lowering my mood and upping my blood pressure as I flit in and out of X World.
Who do I block, you ask? Well, there’s quite a list: rabid left-wingers, rabid right-wingers, Djokovic fans, porn lovers, pedophiles, AGPs, obvious bots, WFP cancellation supporters, those who assume everyone agrees with them, Chris and Diane critics, Hamas followers, Just Stop Oil, to mention a few.
And people are free to block or unfollow me. It’s a free country after all. At least it still is for the time being.
What I do object to is those who ANNOUNCE they are blocking or unfollowing you as happened to me recently. I posted on my Facebook page (my personal one not my Author page) a criticism of the Government’s decision to stop the Winter Fuel Allowance for all pensioners except those on pension credit. I also said I thought Starmer’s handling of the ‘riots’ was misguided. Someone I barely know — we met at a writer’s lunch about eighteen months ago and exchanged two sentences — jumped on to announce she was blocking me because of it. Love, it isn’t Stansted Airport. You don’t need to announce your departure. Just unfollow, block or whatever. I’m astounded by her ego. How smug! Does she think anyone is bothered? I’m certainly not. I wouldn’t recognise her again if I passed her in the street. I can live with her disapproval quite easily.
So, I shall continue to post what I like on my own Facebook page. And anyone who doesn’t like it can block me. Simples.
