Why quit social media... and why come back?

I need your help rethinking an ethical decision

New York City health officials recently put out a formal warning urging adults to protect kids from the possible ill effects of social media.

It makes me feel like a hypocrite. Am I? What do you think?

Ethical purity is a common trait among journalists like me. We spend so much time trying to be trustworthy that we’re bound to agonize over our choices. No wonder I’ve spent so much time agonizing over my post on X (what we used to call Twitter) at the end of 2023. It was a decision I came to slowly, having used Twitter since 2011. By the time I posted it I was confident that I’d make a solid choice:

I'm grateful to you for following me, but this profile is now idle. Comments & DMs on X/Twitter won't be checked. Please reconnect with me elsewhere, and support my new projects. Thanks very much!

Elon Musk’s approval of problematic figures like Alex Jones, Andrew Tate and Tucker Carlson spoke volumes about his new regime. Idling my profile, using it only for passive promotion rather than active interaction, felt necessary. It would distance me from these toxic people and send a message about the kind of work I do.

Now I’m not so sure.

Twitter/X has been by far my strongest source of public engagement. Stepping away is having a tangible impact as I try to keep The Night Light growing. Facebook has always been helpful, but I reached far more people on Twitter, and I reached them faster. That includes celebrities and elected officials who followed me back and, thus, who I could reach out to directly. And because I conducted myself in a nonjudgmental, nonpartisan, friendly way, my followers overwhelmingly reflected that back. I had my share of trolls and jerks, of course, but 95% of my interactions were highly positive. The more I thought about it, the more this ethical decision started feel like a virtue signal.

That quickly turned into self judgment. I felt like a hypocrite for even doubting this choice. Our words and deeds confirm our beliefs. If I say I believe in treating everyone with respect, then how can I associate with such heinously disrespectful people? If I say I stand for the equality of all people, then why patronize a platform that doesn’t share my stance? Granted, those problematic people are still there despite me joining the ranks of those who’ve quit X, but that doesn’t make the decision wrong.

Does it?

We discussed this during the live stream on Friday. I’d love to know your thoughts. Should I resume normal activities on X? What about Substack, my base of operations for this article you’re reading right now? Do I use the same moral standards for Spotify or YouTube or Facebook? Maybe you’ve dealt with this yourself: what happened, and how did you handle it?

Here’s the segment from Friday’s show. Share your thoughts in the comments here, or email me directly: joshua@nightlightshow.com. I’ll make a decision in the next few days.