OFF THE GRID

Let me guess, you have just noticed that for some reason I cannot be found on twitter any more. You might be wondering what is happening. Did I get suspended? Did I get hacked and lost everything? Well, that almost happened once believe it or not... some troll got into my account and started posting some random spam trash. Jokes and facts aside, no, I have not been hacked, I have not got suspended by the Twitter Gods per sake, it's simply just something that has been in my head for a while...

I've been using Twitter since 2016, soon after I have created my website. Aside Twitter I used to have an Instagram account as well running with the same handle that was simply "trekkerprise" and I have had fun with it. However over the years things have changed and upon thinking more about the things I've been using the platform for, I have decided to get off from it. I think I have spent about 2-3 years there before I decided that posting pictures and aiming for the likes is not something I was driven by. And to be honest sharing the pictures about Star Trek ships and characters that I have had nothing to do with felt a bit superficial. Why should I get like on a picture that someone took about the Enterprise studio model in the Paramount lot when I was not even born yet? I mean, I loved the picture, but at the end of the day it was just sharing pictures of stuff that I have had nothing to do with. So after thinking about it for weeks I have decided to delete my Instagram account and have never looked back. I might add as well, that I have had no regret.

The only social media platform I was using since the dawn of trekkerprise.com and the YouTube channel is Twitter. I have never been a facebook guy myself and will never be, but Twitter seemed like a great platform at the time. I've got to know soo many people because of it, some of them even became a good friend of mine over time - you know who you are. ;) Twitter is a platform where you can share your thoughts in 140 characters... note that in a few years back it was only a 140 characters, but now it is 280. The platform in a sense was a really comfortable way to get to know more people in the Star Trek community and to get engaged with the fans. It's a really good bunch and I'm glad I have had a chance to meet a lot of amazing people through Twitter and also my channel as well. 

So why have I disappeared? Well, to simply put, the platform became overwhelming for me. If you been following me for a while you know that I have been taking shorter and longer breaks over the years and specially in 2020 where I have done quite a few "detox" from the platform. These months long "social media free" periods really did put me into an amazing mood and mindset. I felt free and truly myself, not being bombarded with pictures, thoughts and people shouting to each other saying "no, you are wrong about x, y and z!" Not being the witness of that and simply enjoying life was just an amazing experience. ​My mind was in the right place and ideas were going through my head big time. I felt a renewed sense of creativity and focus that I was missing for a while.

Breaks were months long and I must say by the end of it I was excited to come back and see what everyone is doing, what they been up to, but that lasted for the first half an hour. After that I started to sense a familiar feeling that I have been getting by recently quite often... anxiety, social anxiety to be exact. I have experienced this a few times after a break coming back to social media. It almost felt like starting work on a Monday morning after a lovely holiday! The anxiety and discomfort came back the first day and I have been in the same place as before. So here I was thinking that I took a break away from this in the first place to recharge, but if I have to take frequent breaks from something that gave me joy before, maybe it does not gives me joy any more. 

This is a big realisation for me and I know I will get contacted by a handful of people reasoning that I should have stayed and I could have just used this in a limited capacity, but I know that in reality that would have just created a back and forth loop in my head. I believe that there's a point when one should accept and face reality for the sake of his or her mental wellbeing. That's exactly what I'm doing, right here, right now and it feels right. I know that for me this will be a great change as I've been doing soo many things in my "detox" time that I did not have time before or simply the motivation slipped through my mind because of social media. 

So, after about 4.5 years, after 9325 tweets, following 329 people and the 1822 people who decided to follow me on Twitter I thank you for the time we spent together there. Even though I will be saying goodbye to the platform and the community there I am not going away, I'm not going anywhere as I'll be creating more and more on this website and who knows... maybe the channel will come back as well one day, after all this is a hobby and this site gives me joy and that what matters. I know that a few of you might miss me tweeting or chiming in to conversations, but I will be still available here. Here, where it all started "to go boldly where no Trekkie has gone before." :)