I'll unfollow people's sources, not the people--unless said person becomes really annoying.

I generally unfollow people who only post Bible verse, or people who are involved in some kind of direct-selling business, or people who respond to factual corrections with "I don't care."

(There's only been one of that last kind.)

It's handy, but part of me wonders if we're not creating an echo chamber with no room for dissenting opinions and thought. How can we think critically when everything we see is basically reinforcing our confirmation bias?

It's not dissent I'm unfollowing; it's Tim's nephew who calls women "cunts" in his posts. It's my aunt who is a hateful bigot and believes she has to tell gay people that God hates the way they live. That's not dissent; that's hate.

No one is obligated to tolerate people's hate on a social media platform. I'm good with my echo chamber of non-hateful shit being spewed.

I'm forced to follow my über-conservative Quiverfull advocate cousin to get info about other relatives from that branch of the family. About once in every 50 posts of Bible verses intended to shame the heathens or deny evolution/climate change/civil rights/gravity there's a health update on another cousin's progress in his fight against cancer.

What is annoying is there used to be a "see less from this person" option, which I used on a friend's husband, and now I can't figure out how to see more from him again! Because I didn't unfollow him, I can't re-follow him, so I'm just out luck. The good news is that he tags his wife in anything kid-related, so I do see that still, which is really what I'm interested in.

It's not dissent I'm unfollowing; it's Tim's nephew who calls women "cunts" in his posts. It's my aunt who is a hateful bigot and believes she has to tell gay people that God hates the way they live. That's not dissent; that's hate.

Yes. Honestly I don't give a shit if I'm in an echo chamber. Because I also don't feel like I have to put up with hateful attacks on me and my friends (this especially applies to a lot of the stuff around trans people and bathroom bills) when I get it enough IRL. I know I still have a few people on my list who I vehemently disagree with (I hadn't hidden the friend I referenced, until it was his friend posting bigoted crazy bullshit; I've still got one of Marco Rubio's chief operatives, who is a friend from college, but he doesn't post nasty or ridiculous shit, so even if I sometimes disagree with him it's not generally hateful)

The hate I absolutely get. No one has to put up with that. I've gotten rid of hateful people.

I probably should have clarified better. I wasn't accusing anyone here, but I've seen a lot of posts from non-Buffista friends saying I'm unfollowing/unfriending anyone who doesn't think the way I do. This is on both sides of the fence. It seems to be ramping up as primary season is winding down.

ION, LMM confirmed he is leaving Hamilton on July 9th. No other cast member announcements yet, but there's good news. They're filming the original cast. Woo hoo!

They're filming the original cast.

Sales of that recording should make the US economy skyrocket.

Yeah, the echo chamber effect can be a real danger. I try to find some real journalism before getting outraged or sharing a story, but I know I'm not perfect. Real journalism can be hard to find sometimes too.

I really do wish a lot of people on social media would just calm the fuck down. There's so much insane hostility out there. Well, maybe it isn't really a lot of people, it just seems that way. Sometimes I just want to post in a hostile thread "Wouldn't it be tight if everyone was chill to each other?", but that would probably just be throwing kerosene on the flames.

AWESOME. There's a group planning "open-carry outreach" for next weekend's Pride festival and parade, who are planning to walk around in groups open-carrying their guns so that the gays will know they don't need to be afraid. OF PEOPLE MURDERING THEM WITH GUNS.

How is this legal? HOW THE FUCK IS THIS LEGAL.

(Also, that pretty much seals my decision to not go to Pride. I told myself -- before I read about this group -- that I can't live in fear, I can't let my anxiety run my life, and I want to go to Pride to be supportive, to mourn, and to celebrate. But you know what? FUCK THAT. I'm willing to fight my anxiety over theoretical issues, but I cannot be at an event with tens of thousands of people and a bunch of goddamn dumpster fire horror shows walking around with their guns out around a community that was just terrorized WITH GUNS.) (If that makes me weak, I don't care.)