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One of the things nobody warns you about when you go into journalism is how utterly demoralising social media can be
[this turned into a bit of a thread, sorry about that]
[this turned into a bit of a thread, sorry about that]
Yes, we all know that social media is bad, and you should ignore the trolls. In my personal social media use that& #39;s exactly what I do - I leave groups that upset me and block the people who troll or offend. But in a professional capacity, you don& #39;t always have that option.
There& #39;s an endless drudgery of upsetting things out there, from the tactless to the genuinely offensive. And when it& #39;s your job to see and interact with those people, day after day, it really starts to get you down.
The abuse that journalists get is horrendous. But it isn& #39;t just the direct attacks that get to you. It& #39;s the endless stream of criticism and nastiness, directed at individuals and brands. The general air of distrust and suspicion.
There& #39;s a certain anxiety that I only get when posting stories on social media. Even the most straightforward piece, easy and simple with no questions to be asked, will be torn to shreds by someone who hasn& #39;t bothered to read past the headline.
Sure, it& #39;s always happened. But 20 years ago you could ignore the letters or distract yourself with something else. Now, the abuse is in my inbox, it& #39;s on my Facebook feed on a Saturday after someone tags me in a meme. It& #39;s endless. And there really isn& #39;t a way to avoid it.
There& #39;s really not all that much support out there. Yes, you can limit your use and not check in your personal time, but it& #39;s not always that easy. The anxiety eats away at you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
