This will end with a data graph. I know no one wants a data graph but rest assured – this is not your usual visualization. It measures 1) Twitter engagements each day, 2) A self-assessment of my emotional reaction to my tweets, tweets about me, replies or just what was coming down the feed.
First an explanation.
Twitter is not my social media tool of choice, and I would not be on Twitter at all if I was not a journalist. It’s mean. Now that I am in the US I use it more frequently to follow news as there is really no alternative for breaking news in Canada. I don’t have an opt out.
This month was an unusual. I was more engaged and with material that is not good news for anyone. Around February 7, federal police prepared to arrest Indigenous families and leaders for blocking pipeline construction on their traditional lands. According to their laws and Canada’s they do have a legal say in development. However the government wants the pipeline through, and got an injunction. Police did nor want reporters taping the arrests and therefore detained and repeated threatened to arrest reporters.
I got pulled in to both these issues – because it is my job. As I collected the social media data I became conscious of how fierce and volatile my own emotional reactions can be. Especially as the racism and vitriol grew, some coming directly from elected politicians (Canadians are not as nice as reputed.)
I think I notice that the more I reported the more my tweets seemed to be seen by a group of people whom I don’t think the Algorithms normally bring to my feed.
Here are a few tweets that impacted me emotionally.
Now on to the data graph I promised.
The blue bars are twitter engagements by day, the orange line is my self-assessment on the strength of my emotional reaction. The emojis should speak for themselves (but in case they don’t I labelled them.)
Does this graph look crazy?
Then mission accomplished.
Twitter makes me crazy.
I just changed my settings to lower the interactions for a few days. I still want it to monitor the roadblocks etc – and need it as well. Jut a few hours ago I got a DM that a US journalist was arrested.