Join me for Mutant Mondays, your go-to weekly collection of captivating ideas and inspiring stories. Each week, I deliver personal insights on what inspires or moves me, along with a curated selection of art, exciting opportunities, and cultural highlights that deserve your attention. Explore thought-provoking musings and uncover unique discoveries.
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“Twitter, META, and TikTok are all state media now. They will suppress and censor narratives, beliefs, and views opposed by the administration.”
Starting today’s Mutant Mondays off by sharing this quote from Alejandra Caraballo’s reaction to the BBC’s story on Instagram hiding search results for the word “Democrats” on their search feed. Some people over on BlueSky have been calling this moment a “digital coup” that’s being done by the extreme right here in the United States especially with META calling for the removal of fact-checks and relaxing of hate speech policies. As if that weren’t enough, earlier this week, Instagram and Facebook were found to have blocked posts by abortion pill providers.
In the last week, I have gained over 400 new followers on BlueSky, many of whom are “Instagram and TikTok refugees,” fleeing what they see as dangerous algorithmic landscapes for the promise of a more decentralized social media ecosystem. You can follow me on BlueSky here.
The decentralization of social media represents a crucial shift in how we connect online. Rather than relying on a single company's servers and rules, decentralized platforms like Bluesky use a protocol called the AT Protocol that allows users to move their identity, connections, and content across different services - similar to how email works. If you don't like how one service operates, you can switch to another without losing your social network.
Think of it like the difference between being locked into a gated community with one set of rules versus having the freedom to live in any neighborhood while keeping your address book and relationships intact. Bluesky's approach means users aren't bound to a single platform's moderation policies, algorithms, or business decisions. This creates more choice and reduces the risk of a single entity having too much control over public discourse.
Importantly, decentralization also promotes innovation. When multiple services can build on the same protocol, developers can create new features and experiences without needing permission from a central authority. This competitive ecosystem tends to result in better privacy features, more user-focused development, and more diverse options for how people want to engage online. For example, different groups have been working together to create BlueSky’s versions of Instagram and TikTok.
While platforms like BlueSky offer innovative features such as allowing users to curate their own “starter packs” that foster genuine community connections (I'm currently featured in 44 of them, ranging from Therapists of BlueSky to Trans Technology Researchers and Creators to New Media/Digital Artists starter packs), the broader conversation isn't merely about switching platforms; it's about fundamentally questioning our relationship with social media.
These technologies are not neutral tools; they are increasingly weaponized for political and ideological control. As we navigate this shifting landscape, perhaps the most radical act is to diversify how we stay connected by combining thoughtful engagement on decentralized platforms, through e-mail, and in private spaces like Discords and encrypted text threads, while also strengthening our offline communities and relationships. The future of connection doesn't have to be dictated by corporate algorithms or state interests - we can actively choose and shape the spaces where we gather, share, and build together.
✨Resonant Transmissions✨
Weekly Link Roundup
Please read adrienne maree brown’s words following their recent “mass call." These words serve as a balm, a powerful incantation, and a call to power and community.
This is a beautiful collection of Love Letters from Angelenos after the fires.
A new scientific discovery has revealed that light is able to travel through both space and time. Also, they introduced the concept of “time crystals,” and I’m officially obsessed 🤩!
Last week, I shared about the Telepathy Tapes, which has exploded in popularity, relevancy, and influence. This week, I want to share that I just started reading the book A Mind Beyond Words: My Decades of Discovery with an Extraordinary Guide, which is a compelling spiritual memoir about the strong and unusual bond forged between schoolteacher Jes and a six-year-old autistic boy named Asher, whose arrival in her class changed the trajectories of both their lives.
In OTHER news, here’s a story about a group of people who attacked a Waymo driverless car in Los Angeles.