Scroll, scroll, scroll. We all scroll so much, but to what end?
Ben Grosser, creator of the minus.social network that questions the purpose of social media. Minus limits users to just 100 posts. With every post, your number counts down from 100 to 99 to 98, until you reach zero. This sort of scarcity built into the Minus social media platform results in more thoughtful posts.
I’ve been a member of Minus since 2021 (You can read my full review of Minus from 2021). However, I’ve made only 3 posts so far.
When the creator of the network makes a post, you know it will most likely be good. Ben’s recent post is his 21st, and touches on us swiping repeatedly:
never before
have so many
swiped up so much
for so little
It captures a lot of we create and share. And what we consume. How to respond to a post like this? Perhaps we apply various metaphors to Ben’s post (with some help from Chat GPT)
A view through chemistry
It’s reminiscent of an alchemical pursuit, where countless seekers mix digital elements in their quest for wisdom, but instead of turning lead into gold, they often find themselves left with ephemeral compounds of fleeting value.
Through sports
It’s comparable to a marathon of endless swipes, where countless participants sprint through the digital track, but despite their efforts, the finish line reveals itself to be just another starting point, leaving many feeling like they’ve run in circles for the sake of a fleeting medal.
and visual art
It’s like an expansive canvas of endless swipes, where artists of the digital age passionately paint strokes of curiosity, only to step back and realize that their masterpiece is often an abstract mosaic of fragmented ideas, waiting for that elusive brushstroke of depth.
and since this about swiping up on glass, let’s use glass as a metaphor
It’s akin to a window into the digital world, where we peer through the glass, hoping to glimpse profound vistas, but more often than not, we find ourselves staring at a myriad of reflections, revealing the superficiality of our digital pursuits.
Re-reading Ben’s post, he sounds so poetic in part, because he repeats the word “so” three times. It creates a sort of rhythm in the poem. I asked GPT to rewrite these interpretations as poems. And to use the word “so” three times.
In the realm of chemistry,
oh so grand, We mix and stir with eager hand,
Hoping for wisdom, riches to expand,
But often left with trifles, grains of sand.In the world of sports, we sprint and run,
Chasing goals beneath the sun,
Yet in this race, so often won,
We find the journey’s just begun.In visual art, strokes on canvas spun,
A tapestry of hues, a masterpiece undone,
So many shades, a battle never won,
Seeking depth ‘neath the surface, the artist’s sun.Through the glass, we gaze and yearn,
Hoping for knowledge, lessons to discern,
But often, we’re left in turn,
With reflections, images, and echoes that churn.
(GPT ignored my “so” request)