Ive haven't ever had notifications on. Though online can still garner a continuous amount of our time anyway if we're not present. ( I have had to hide my phone in a pot in the kitchen, the fact that I have to enter the pot first makes me hesitate and rethink .. haha .. can't believe I shared that .. )
I love your first Substack of the year. It feels light, and a good direction, the social media apps feel so fleeting, I like the fact that here in Substack we may not always respond, though when we do it feels like we have given each other a little more thought and time. ..
Dude, I’ve never had my notifications on on any social media plat! And also I am leaving Instagram in a few weeks. I will leave the account on there with links to whatever places I want people to go to, and that’s it. Take it out of my phone and laptop bookmarks.
Hey Andy, I had no idea that even email delivery is impacted by an algorithm! Really? That seems so unethical. Like the post office deciding to only deliver some envelopes with stamps but not others. 🤦♀️
Lord.
Choosing where to prioritize sounds wise. Wishing you ease in 2025!
Agree about halting notifications. Shit is getting worse out there.
Agree about connections outside of social media. See above.
Uphill battle, for all of us, but I think your efforts will be rewarded. I think old school and “in person” is a better way.
One thing my alma mater has been doing is quarterly zoom conversations about the art world, moderated and with prepared topics. The larger they get, the greater potential for chaos, (moderation is key) (chaos can be good sometimes) but I think that might be another way for you to connect with photographers.
Thanks for the note, Stephen; it's nice to hear from you. Last year, I spent much of my time volunteering with an arts organization to program in-person photography exhibitions, lectures, and films. That was a lot of fun and very rewarding but also very draining. So, I need to dial it back in 2025.
I agree about that human connection. I have long wondered if there would be value in programming virtual photography events using Zoom or Google Meet. Honestly, I'm not sure people have the bandwidth for that kind of thing. But I could certainly give it a try. What do you think?
Andy, I’ve been involved with a monthly local zoom photo group for several years. It started during the COVID lockdown to replace a group of 10 or 15 or so who met monthly at a local art association. During peak COVID I would say nearly everyone stayed with zoom which was very rewarding. We continued to share photos, tech advice, etc. and got to each other better. Then as things opened up we kept zooming but attendance kept dropping. The hard core of just a few continues for a monthly hour on a Saturday morning which I still look forward to. It’s a relaxed group share and chat with people it’s likely I wouldn’t have gotten to know as well via the in person meetings, oddly enough because we don’t live close enough. And I like having to push myself to have something to show each month, not that it’s required. And always enjoy hanging out with the hard core. I had a similar experience with a zoom group based on the other side of the country my brother introduced me to. Obviously the scales involved are miniscule compared to your Substack following. But maybe some helpful info for you in thinking about whether to start a photo zoom. Not sure how it would work with a crowd as I rarely join big zooms and they’re usually set up as presentations not interactions. .
PS. I don’t get substacks to follow as emails. Having notifications for peoples’ posts to clear out would drive me nuts. I use the app and like that I can pick and choose who to read according to my state of mind. Similarly I was on twitter and Igram mostly to follow people I knew professionally (I’m a retired biologist) or personally (friends and people from photo projects) in both places but left both (twitter before it x’d out) because they were taking up too much of my attention even without notifications especially as the Igram algorithm kept throwing things at me I had no interest in. And feel no great loss. But our wants/needs may quite different. I’m a retiree of Joe Biden’s age with no great responsibilities except to keep myself going with plenty of time to do it.
I feel you on the loss of focus/ balance the last half of 2024. I have some readjustments in making this year as well. Having social media work for me instead of me working for social media ( the infamous algorithms) is top off the list. Having that balance of cultivating community through engagement and doing actual hands on work consistently. Cheers to 2025! Photographers! Assemble! 😂😊
I pretty much have all notifications turned off on all devices. The only exceptions are appointments, reminders and immediate family visits specific messaging apps. Oh, and weather warnings! Everything else, including email, I check manually, or turn on notifications for a limited period as required. It’s been this way for quite a while now. I think having a BlackBerry many moons ago burnt me out. I still dream about the little red flashing LED 😀
I have Substack set to use intelligently delivery. If I use the app frequently enough it stays out of my inbox. Forget to checking, then I get a gentle reminder with a summary of recent articles. This stops my inbox being overloaded with unread items whilst keeping me engaged. A happy balance I feel.
And I do try to read your articles as often as I can. 👍
I'm really trying to curtail my social media use although still long for the yesteryear of Instagram when it was just photos and captions. I finally had to part ways with my beloved Blackberry a few weeks ago, but it was so nice not to be bogged down by apps and notifications. I hate that we don't talk face to face anymore and are glued to this rectangular object nearly 24/7.
Even when I had a smartphone I had almost all my notifications turned off. It seemed a nicer way to live. Alas, my self-control is not great, so I went for the Light Phone this year. It's been life-changing.
Yes. I have the earlier version without the camera. Now I can only be reached when I want to be haha. And my husband can't get mad at me for leaving my phone at home just because I don't want to be on it when I'm out.
It's been a long time since I had notifications on for FB. And yes, the app is obnoxious about demanding you turn them back on. No thanks! I'll interact on my terms, not every time they push a notification my way (which is far too often). I'm contemplating just removing the app entirely because I rarely bother to post either. If it wasn't for friends and relations (who seem to have forgotten that email and text messages still work) and local businesses/groups which ill-advisedly have chosen to use FB as their sole online presence, I'd likely just get off there entirely.
I think turning off notifications for all of them is a sound idea. Not keen on the idea of spending my time providing fleeting "content" for a mega-corporation and finding that my reward for doing so is that they demand even more of my time.
Focusing efforts on those which provide the most value also seems the only way to remain sane, though the risk is that's a moving target as networks fall in and out of favor. TBH I'm leaning back toward putting everything on a personal website that's under my sole control and just linking to it from elsewhere.
HI Andy, I received your post, I'm also paring down social media as well as the people I subscribe to on Substack (I find it's become overwhelming and I need to clean house!). Happy New year!
Ive haven't ever had notifications on. Though online can still garner a continuous amount of our time anyway if we're not present. ( I have had to hide my phone in a pot in the kitchen, the fact that I have to enter the pot first makes me hesitate and rethink .. haha .. can't believe I shared that .. )
I love your first Substack of the year. It feels light, and a good direction, the social media apps feel so fleeting, I like the fact that here in Substack we may not always respond, though when we do it feels like we have given each other a little more thought and time. ..
Happy New Year : )
Got the newsletter thank you!
Dude, I’ve never had my notifications on on any social media plat! And also I am leaving Instagram in a few weeks. I will leave the account on there with links to whatever places I want people to go to, and that’s it. Take it out of my phone and laptop bookmarks.
Hey Andy, I had no idea that even email delivery is impacted by an algorithm! Really? That seems so unethical. Like the post office deciding to only deliver some envelopes with stamps but not others. 🤦♀️
Lord.
Choosing where to prioritize sounds wise. Wishing you ease in 2025!
Thanks for all you do.
Hillary
Agree about halting notifications. Shit is getting worse out there.
Agree about connections outside of social media. See above.
Uphill battle, for all of us, but I think your efforts will be rewarded. I think old school and “in person” is a better way.
One thing my alma mater has been doing is quarterly zoom conversations about the art world, moderated and with prepared topics. The larger they get, the greater potential for chaos, (moderation is key) (chaos can be good sometimes) but I think that might be another way for you to connect with photographers.
Thanks for the note, Stephen; it's nice to hear from you. Last year, I spent much of my time volunteering with an arts organization to program in-person photography exhibitions, lectures, and films. That was a lot of fun and very rewarding but also very draining. So, I need to dial it back in 2025.
I agree about that human connection. I have long wondered if there would be value in programming virtual photography events using Zoom or Google Meet. Honestly, I'm not sure people have the bandwidth for that kind of thing. But I could certainly give it a try. What do you think?
Andy, I’ve been involved with a monthly local zoom photo group for several years. It started during the COVID lockdown to replace a group of 10 or 15 or so who met monthly at a local art association. During peak COVID I would say nearly everyone stayed with zoom which was very rewarding. We continued to share photos, tech advice, etc. and got to each other better. Then as things opened up we kept zooming but attendance kept dropping. The hard core of just a few continues for a monthly hour on a Saturday morning which I still look forward to. It’s a relaxed group share and chat with people it’s likely I wouldn’t have gotten to know as well via the in person meetings, oddly enough because we don’t live close enough. And I like having to push myself to have something to show each month, not that it’s required. And always enjoy hanging out with the hard core. I had a similar experience with a zoom group based on the other side of the country my brother introduced me to. Obviously the scales involved are miniscule compared to your Substack following. But maybe some helpful info for you in thinking about whether to start a photo zoom. Not sure how it would work with a crowd as I rarely join big zooms and they’re usually set up as presentations not interactions. .
PS. I don’t get substacks to follow as emails. Having notifications for peoples’ posts to clear out would drive me nuts. I use the app and like that I can pick and choose who to read according to my state of mind. Similarly I was on twitter and Igram mostly to follow people I knew professionally (I’m a retired biologist) or personally (friends and people from photo projects) in both places but left both (twitter before it x’d out) because they were taking up too much of my attention even without notifications especially as the Igram algorithm kept throwing things at me I had no interest in. And feel no great loss. But our wants/needs may quite different. I’m a retiree of Joe Biden’s age with no great responsibilities except to keep myself going with plenty of time to do it.
I feel you on the loss of focus/ balance the last half of 2024. I have some readjustments in making this year as well. Having social media work for me instead of me working for social media ( the infamous algorithms) is top off the list. Having that balance of cultivating community through engagement and doing actual hands on work consistently. Cheers to 2025! Photographers! Assemble! 😂😊
Newsletter received. Thank you for all that you do!
I pretty much have all notifications turned off on all devices. The only exceptions are appointments, reminders and immediate family visits specific messaging apps. Oh, and weather warnings! Everything else, including email, I check manually, or turn on notifications for a limited period as required. It’s been this way for quite a while now. I think having a BlackBerry many moons ago burnt me out. I still dream about the little red flashing LED 😀
I have Substack set to use intelligently delivery. If I use the app frequently enough it stays out of my inbox. Forget to checking, then I get a gentle reminder with a summary of recent articles. This stops my inbox being overloaded with unread items whilst keeping me engaged. A happy balance I feel.
And I do try to read your articles as often as I can. 👍
I'm really trying to curtail my social media use although still long for the yesteryear of Instagram when it was just photos and captions. I finally had to part ways with my beloved Blackberry a few weeks ago, but it was so nice not to be bogged down by apps and notifications. I hate that we don't talk face to face anymore and are glued to this rectangular object nearly 24/7.
Got the newsletter. Thanks and Happy New Year!
Yes
Thinking about leaving FB and Instagram….sigh. But I live without notifications as well. Otherwise the phone goes to crazy!! Good luck with it!
Even when I had a smartphone I had almost all my notifications turned off. It seemed a nicer way to live. Alas, my self-control is not great, so I went for the Light Phone this year. It's been life-changing.
I haven't heard of the Light Phone. This? https://www.thelightphone.com/lightiii
Yes. I have the earlier version without the camera. Now I can only be reached when I want to be haha. And my husband can't get mad at me for leaving my phone at home just because I don't want to be on it when I'm out.
Copy that Andy! Happy New Year!
It's been a long time since I had notifications on for FB. And yes, the app is obnoxious about demanding you turn them back on. No thanks! I'll interact on my terms, not every time they push a notification my way (which is far too often). I'm contemplating just removing the app entirely because I rarely bother to post either. If it wasn't for friends and relations (who seem to have forgotten that email and text messages still work) and local businesses/groups which ill-advisedly have chosen to use FB as their sole online presence, I'd likely just get off there entirely.
I think turning off notifications for all of them is a sound idea. Not keen on the idea of spending my time providing fleeting "content" for a mega-corporation and finding that my reward for doing so is that they demand even more of my time.
Focusing efforts on those which provide the most value also seems the only way to remain sane, though the risk is that's a moving target as networks fall in and out of favor. TBH I'm leaning back toward putting everything on a personal website that's under my sole control and just linking to it from elsewhere.
I read your email in New Zealand- nice to get other perspectives.
HI Andy, I received your post, I'm also paring down social media as well as the people I subscribe to on Substack (I find it's become overwhelming and I need to clean house!). Happy New year!