Skip to content

LEAVE IT IN 2017

2017-12-26 · list · John · 3:12 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Personal life (also: Internet & YouTube, Sports) · mode: Personal essay · tags: calendar ritual, civic or action cta

In a public version of the year-end letter his therapist suggested, John tells his future self to leave in 2017 the feed (algorithms built to keep him scrolling), wild swings about the social internet, sports-driven moods, career over sanity, excess LaCroix, snark in comments and the idea that the avatar is the person, while keeping exercise, real-life community events and sharing his writing.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — John's year-end letters to his past and future selves, suggested by his therapist

  • ★★ At the end of every year John writes two letters, to his past self who survived the year and his future self, reviewing the year and setting goals. — 00:00:00
  • ★★ The letters were his therapist's suggestion; John was suspicious at first, as of all therapy things, but found them incredibly helpful. — 00:00:15
  • ★★ John feels there are not enough opportunities for reflection in our culture right now. (hedged) — 00:00:21
  • ★★ John writes an open public version of the letter, called Leave It in 2017, hoping to improve accountability. (hedged) — 00:00:35

00:00:44 — Leave the feed: social media algorithms, and the wild swings in judging the social internet

  • ★★★ First to leave in 2017 is the feed: hours a day passively scrolling information that leaves him neither better informed nor happier. — 00:00:45
  • ★★★ John says the social internet is not inherently good or bad, but right now it is bad for him. — 00:00:58
  • ★★★ Social media feeds don't make you happier or better informed because they aren't trying to: algorithms are designed to maximize time on site and ad impressions, and do it very well. — 00:01:13 · recommender system, attention economy, online advertising
  • ★★★ John swings between seeing the social internet as the solution to all humanity's problems and as burnt garbage; both extremes are invalid, so he will embrace nuance. — 00:01:29

00:01:51 — AFC Wimbledon, Liverpool and letting football rule his mood

  • ★★ AFC Wimbledon is currently in the League One relegation zone. — 00:01:55 · AFC Wimbledon
  • ★★★ Too much of John's mental well-being depends on eleven mostly twenty-something strangers far away; he should care but not shout that all is ruined at the TV in front of his children. (playful) — 00:02:02 · AFC Wimbledon

00:02:18 — Four more: career over sanity, LaCroix, snark in comments, the avatar is the person

  • ★★ Leave in 2017 prioritizing career over sanity: that's dumb. — 00:02:20
  • ★ Leave in 2017 drinking more than two LaCroix a day: LaCroix is great, but show restraint. (playful) — 00:02:24
  • ★★★ Leave in 2017 being snarky in comments when tempted to provoke, respond to trolling or meet hostility with hostility. — 00:02:29
  • ★★★ Leave in 2017 the notion that the avatar is the person; remember that everyone we meet online and off is fighting battles we don't know about. — 00:02:37 · perspective-taking

00:02:49 — What to keep from 2017; ask for viewers' lists; sign-off

  • ★★ John wants to keep from 2017 the life-changing magic of regular exercise. — 00:02:49
  • ★★ John wants to keep the value of real-life events celebrating usually virtual communities. — 00:02:53
  • ★★ John wants to keep the reminders of why he loves not only writing but sharing his writing, even if it is a little terrifying. — 00:02:56
  • ★★ John asks viewers to say in comments what they will hold on to from 2017 and what they want to leave behind. — 00:03:03

Threads in this video

Mentioned

Central: Internet

Also: Organizations: AFC Wimbledon · EFL League One · Liverpool FC

Concepts: attention economy · culture · internet addiction disorder · online advertising · perspective-taking · physical exercise · recommender system

Characters: Luke Skywalker

Products: LaCroix

Also centred on Internet: Watermelon Internet Trolls · WE WON! Net Neutrality and Re-Thinking Cynicism · 19 Ways to Not Suck on the Internet · Is YouTube Good for Humanity? · Logging Off · History Is Happening

← Previous: Christmas Questions Answered (With Katherine and Hank) · Next → Can You Ever Really Change?