I don’t drink much.  Some find that hard to understand – I’m not teetotal (which is seen as “good”, but also a bit geeky and goody-two-shoes), but I’m not someone who drinks every time they go out.  I usually get lumped into one of those categories, instead of being accepted for who I actually am – someone that sometimes likes a drink, but generally can take or leave it.

Don’t get me wrong – I like to drink.  I love being drunk too – and I love that feeling when you’re drunk with a new friend, and you’re giggling together about the fact that you’re drunk.  I love the way being drunk makes certain activities very amusing.  But when I drink, I have to be very careful.  Drinking enhances my emotional state – if I’m excited for a fun evening (excitement which is often geared towards dancing), then alcohol will make me loose and relaxed and giggly.  But if I’m not happy and excited, alcohol will either make me miserable, or incredibly drowsy.  This is often the case if I’m in public with people I’m not completely comfortable with, such as work colleagues or new friends – people always say “have a drink, loosen up”, but it doesn’t always work.  It usually has the opposite effect, actually.  I also can’t eat and drink at the same time; I know I’m supposed to drink certain wines to enhance certain flavours in the meal, but if I do so, I’ll be practically asleep before dessert arrives!

So if I’m going out for a relatively unexciting evening (e.g. a nice meal), drinking will in fact probably ruin my evening.  I can also think of 100 other reasons for not drinking when I’m out; the main ones being:

1. Soft drinks are cheaper

2. Soft drinks are less fattening – a glass of wine is about 150 calories.  I’d generally rather have a cookie than 2 glasses of wine.

3. Soft drinks don’t impair my judgement.

But then, sometimes I do fancy a drink (a baileys is sometimes a nice evening tipple), but I try to drink carefully in order to avoid getting drunk and ridiculous.  I have the world’s most sensitive body – I also get hungover very easily.

I dislike the relationship our country seems to have with alcohol – that assumption that you have to drink to have a good time.  Sometimes when I drink, I have a terrible time – there have been nights out when I’ve tried to keep up with my friends drink by drink, and after 2 hours, I’m in tears because I’ve somehow convinced myself that no one wants me there, even though there is no evidence to suggest that.  It’s not something I can control when I’m emotional and drunk – these things really take over me, no matter how unfounded my fears are.

I’ve ruined too many potentially good evenings by getting emotional through drink – whether I’m drinking or not, I’ve probably got good reasons for doing so.  Maybe I can’t afford to, or maybe I don’t trust myself not to get drunk and start crying over something stupid.  If I don’t drink for an evening, don’t call me “boring” or nag me to buy a pint “like everyone else”.  It’s fine if you drink, and it’s fine if you don’t.

Five Best Things About 2011

1. Graduating from University

2. Getting my first proper job

3. Co-founding the Swansea Feminist Network

4. Playing a few gigs

5. Getting over my depression

Five New Experiences of 2011

1. Being employed and having my own money

2. Getting a facial piercing (7 months and I still love it!)

3. Trying lobster and scallops – om.

4. Getting my own typewriter

5. Getting my PostSecret published on the official website! (no I’m not telling you which one is mine)

Five New Year’s Resolutions for 2012

1. Finish my epic university-themed zine

2. Attend Million Women Rise

3. Either do a Moonwalk or a Race for Life

4. Complete at least 50 Day Zero Project tasks in total

5. Join a band

This is one of my favourite photos of 2011 - doesn't Toby look handsome in his Christmas clothes?!

Best Song of 2011:
Lady Gaga – Bloody Mary

Worst Song of 2011:
Professor Green ft. Emeli Sande – Read All About It
Many, many songs were in the running for this title – I listen to the radio on my way to work every morning, and I swear they play the same 5 fucking songs every day – Moves Like Jagger, Jar of Hearts, Fly (Rihanna & Nicki Minaj), Price Tag, and this song.  This song ultimately wins out for being completely trite, annoying, and whiny.  An honourable mention must be given to Leona Lewis’ cover of Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt, the most inappropriate pop cover since 2008′s X Factor winner butchered Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.

Best Film of 2011:
Black Swan
A predictable choice, I’m sure.  I loved this film – drawing on feminist themes of the virgin/whole complex, the quest for perfection, and body transformation, this film was intelligent and moving.  There’s an excellent feminist analysis of the film here; if I were to discuss this film, I would only be rehashing the arguments already made by the Feministing ladies.  A close second is Lars von Trier’s Melancholia, a beautiful, haunting film about the destruction of the earth (you can watch the trailer here; though, be warned – it makes the film look far more exciting than it actually is).

Worst Film of 2011:
Sucker Punch
There have been many bad films this year (did anyone else notice how many films released in 2011 were sequels or remakes?); to devote a paragraph to dissecting one of those kinds of films would be a waste of time – we all know they’re shit.  So I thought I’d choose the most disappointing film of 2011 for me, which was Zack Snyder’s girl-power romp, Sucker Punch.  It looked so promising!  Five women kicking ass to an amazing soundtrack – yeah, they’re wearing ridiculously inappropriate battle gear, but I could potentially overlook that.  Sadly, ten minutes into the film, I realised just how wrong my expectations were.  Here is a clip from the first fight scene – this is a very good example of what the whole movie feels like.  Cartoonish, meaningless violence (if there’s no risk of injury, how can you engage and root for the hero?), scantily-clad young girls doing impossible stunts and inexplicably defeating enormous, faceless bad guys who supposedly represent “their demons” or some shit like that.  Sarah at Bad Reputation hit the nail on the head when she described this film as “tedious in a watching-someone-else-play-a-computer-game way. You watched, but didn’t really engage”.  Another irritating aspect of the film was the romanticisation of mental illness and the mental institution that the characters were imprisoned and abused within.  Massive shame.

Best Book Read in 2011:
The Women’s Room – Marilyn French
A classic feminist novel about the struggles of American women during the 1950s through to the 1970s.  While certain aspects are, of course, no longer relevant to a modern feminist audience, I was shocked at how much I could relate to, and how many problems that the second-wave feminists wished to address are still ongoing.  For example, the story about the rape of a central character, and her dealings with the justice system, showed how little has changed in terms of victim-blaming attitudes.  A thought-provoking read.

Worst Book Read in 2011:
How to Win Every Argument: The Use and Abuse of Logic – Madsen Pirie
I thought I would learn a lot from this book about how to win arguments and be able to stop others making fallacious arguments; instead, it merely listed the common logical fallacies people make, e.g. arguments “ad baculum” (by threat of force).  It’s not difficult to spot when people are making incorrect arguments; it is difficult to defeat the person advancing it, however.  What a waste of an afternoon.

Best TV of 2011:
Black Mirror
Charlie Brooker’s 3-part drama series, aired on Channel 4 over December, was by far the best TV I’d watched for a long time.  The theme of the series was our dependence on technology, and its effect on our social interactions.  Admittedly, the series hasn’t been very subtle in its satire, which I think turned many people off – do you need to guess which popular TV show the image on the right is parodying? – but all three stories were thought-provoking, and left me with a cold sense of unease.

Worst TV of 2011:
I’m A Celebrity
I found myself stuck in front of the TV far too much this winter after long days at work – I’m a Celebrity was usually bad enough to shift me from the spot in the sofa I was cemented to.  The X Factor came a close second; the latter programme only saved by the brilliantly snarky commentary found in the #xfactor hashtag on Twitter.

Top 5 Blogs Discovered in 2011:

1. Hyperbole and a Half.  A blog about being awkward, and growing up.  Every single post I’ve read on Allie Brosh’s blog has been hilarious and heart-warming.

2. Bad Reputation.  A UK feminist pop culture blog, often blogging about music, film, comics, and other cool stuff.

3. Monday Through Friday.  The (slightly more) intelligent older uncle of the Cheezburger Network, this blog features funny work-related gifs and memes.  (we all need a guilty internet pleasure; memes are mine)

4. Women In Theology.  A blog written by female theology graduates from an anti-kyriarchal Christian perspective, dedicated to discussions about women in religion.  They write about a wide variety of topics, including sexual ethics, Jesus, LGBT rights, saints, and traditional theology.

5.  Maranda Elizabeth.  The author of Telegram Ma’am zine, their blog features writings about mental health, genderqueerness, self-care, recovery, and writing.  It’s among my favourite single-author blogs, due to its honesty and inspiring feel.

Top 5 Zines Read in 2011:
1. Jane: Chicago’s Clandestine Abortion Service
2. List #14
3. Telegram Ma’am #20
4. xyz #1
5. Shape and Situate #2

What were your favourite books, songs, etc, of 2011?

artwork via Hyperbole and a Half

I’ve spent many years being socially awkward and anxious.  My way of dealing with being forced into social situations was to observe how “normal” people interacted, and try to emulate those traits in order to make myself seem like less of an awkward weirdo.  Sadly, I’m not great at emulating the successful social butterflies, as you will know if you’ve met me in person, but I am very observant about all the ways that people make it difficult to integrate people into conversation, because I am so often on the receiving end of this.

This is just a guide based on my own observations and social preferences, in a situation where you’re around strangers or people you’re not well aquainted with.  Obviously pre-established social groups will have their own etiquettes.

1. Use internet speak like “lolz”, “winning”, “OMG” as part of everyday speech.
Obnoxious and annoying. No one above the age of 14 should speak in this way. Sorry.

2. Stop halfway through telling a story because it’s too embarrassing/rude/whatever. 
If you’ve started a story, you’re indebted to finish it.  Sorry, them’s the rules.  You make it ten times worse when you say “oh nooo, I couldn’t POSSIBLY tell you the rest, it’s far too embarrassing!!!!” You know that just makes me want to hear it even more; or it makes me wonder if you’re just saying that to get attention; as in, “No, I’m dying to hear your story, don’t stop now!”

3. Not introducing people to each other.
It’s so easily done, but frustrating and potentially very awkward for newcomers in a group.

4. Inside jokes.
“bark bark bark CHICKEN! Bahaha! “ Just don’t, please.  Inside jokes are awesome for the people who are a part of them, but for everyone else they’re annoying and isolating.  Save the banter for a more private gathering.

5. Make offensive/oppressive comments about groups of people.
If you make a comment like “I’m not racist, but… [racist comment]” or “there’s no such thing as bisexual, they’re just greedy“, I’m gonna do one of two things, depending on my mood: 1) Call you out on it (usually after some dutch courage). 2) Quickly leave the conversation and avoid you for the rest of the evening, telling everyone else to avoid you too.  There’s a fine line between ignorance, and asshattery.  Furthermore, never assume that you’re ‘safe’ to, for example, tell a rape joke or make an ableist comment because no one looks disabled, or because no one is a survivor as far as you’re aware.  A cheap joke or jibe on your part could cause a great deal of upset for someone – don’t be a dick.

6. Start a controversial debate.
Sometimes this is a good ice-breaker, when executed correctly (I personally don’t enjoy debating, but that’s just me).  But a debate needs to be started it in the right way, in the right kind of atmosphere.  I’d also advise a tactful approach – don’t bound into the conversation playing devil’s advocate with a wild statement like “who here disagrees with abortion?” (I heard someone doing this at a party a few months ago… awkward)

7. Cling to one person all evening.
If there are only a few of you (less than eight?) and you refuse to talk to anyone other than the person you arrived with, then that’s very frustrating, because it creates an us-and-them atmosphere that makes people uncomfortable.  This has happened to me on double dates, and it’s so awkward.  I will admit that this is something that people don’t notice they’re doing, and I’m sure I’ve done it unknowingly out of fear and discomfort – sticking to one person makes you feel safe.  But it can make things quite awkward.

8. Keep going on and on about your significant other.
I think women in particular are encouraged to see their partner as a crucial part of their lives, and perhaps are also encouraged to build their lives around their relationship – so it’s inevitable that conversation about significant others crops up frequently.  However, extended discussions that keep returning to this topic get pretty boring after a while.  I want to hear about what you do, where you’ve been, what your interests are, not what you and your spouse do on the weekend.  Unless you have a super-crazy awesome life together where you go hang-gliding and whatever every weekend.  Though if that’s the case, then what are you doing at my party?

—

This blog post was inspired by the number of hours spent recently procrastinating at Hyperbole and a Half and The Oatmeal after a long day at work.  Both blogs are far better at expressing everyday frustrations than I am!  Go take a look at their work, they’re great.

As expected, working full-time has meant that I’ve had to devote far less time to my hobbies and other commitments.  Before I worked, I could quite easily take on lots of tasks, arrange to go on various trips, etc – the only limitation was financial. Now I have far more financial freedom, but not enough time!  I couldn’t attend Reclaim the Night Cardiff last week due to a late shift, and haven’t been able to see the SFN girls as much as I usually do.

This weekend I tried to squeeze in lots of stuff, and just about got away with it, though I’m not sure if I could manage it again.  On Friday I performed at the Swansea Feminist Network Music Fundraiser!  The gig was good; I wasn’t very happy with my performance, as I got quite nervous on the night and my nerves resulted in a number of mistakes on the piano. I got lots of positive feedback, so perhaps I thought it sounded far worse than it actually did.  The gig was also my first social outing with my new hair, and most people agreed that I actually look better with brown hair. What do you think?

Ali Morris wrote a great review of the night at Swansea University blog The Siren.

The following morning (6 hours after I got home the night before), I travelled up to Nottingham to visit my friend Rose and attend the Nottingham University Prizes and Awards ceremony (I won an award for the work I did for the Women’s Network zine “Artemis”!).  I had such a lovely weekend, and the 5-hour train journey was totally worth it.  On Saturday we watched some live female comedy at Ladyfest Nottingham, which was lots of fun.  I particularly liked Naomi Hefter, musical duo Lindsey & Catherine, and interactive comedy group The Gramophones, so do check those acts out if you’re interested in fun female comedy!

The weekend was awesome, but I’m not sure I can sustain this level of activity.  I’ve already had to turn down Reclaim the Night London this weekend, as I’m so tired from a week of work that a day in London would just make me ill.  (I bet those of you who work full-time will scoff at my weakness – I’m not used to timetables and getting up early to do things, I’ve spent the past 3 years either studying at uni, or on JSA!)  While I’m sad that I won’t be able to donate as much time to my side projects, I feel good that I have a job, and have some money coming in.

But I have managed to get a few things done:

• My first column for The Girls Are went up last week!  Take a look and comment: http://www.thegirlsare.com/2011/11/11/girl-with-a-guitar-1/
• I was featured on womens literature blog For Books’ Sake on Friday. I’m really happy with how this one turned out! http://forbookssake.net/2011/11/18/five-minute-friday-catherine-elms/
• Spill the Zines – November zine reviews: http://bit.ly/uTV7wr

Hopefully my productivity will get back to normal once my body has adjusted to my work schedule.  We shall see.

Then on Monday, I was offered a job!  I’m now working as a receptionist; the hours are ideal, and the people there are lovely.  I was very nervous and shy on my first day today, but other than that it went really well.  So I’m over the moon right now!  However, I have had to dye my hair, mostly in order to appear more professional and less young (everyone always tells me that I look like a rebellious teenager with my purple hair and piercings; it doesn’t help that I have a young-looking face anyway), but also because I’m more than a little bored of the hair by now.  I could muster up the enthusiasm by dying it magenta or something, but I think the time has come to go back to a normal colour.  It’ll be nice to have a break I suppose, and if I ever become a full-time musician, I’ll dye it again.

Farewell, purple hair. We had some good times.

So yes, I’m now employed, and no longer have to sign on!  Being an unemployed graduate was a miserable experience, and I have so much sympathy for those unfortunate enough to still be looking for work.  My self-esteem has been slipping over the past few months as I put so much effort into each job application, each one ending in a rejection… but I’ll write about that subject in depth in Here. In My Head. #11.

Both the party and the job offer came at an ideal time – winter always brings out my sociable side.  Now that the clocks have turned back and the weather has taken a turn for the worse, the nights are longer and darker, and I really crave company to fill those long nights – parties, sleepovers, cwtching up with a hot chocolate and a film, etc.  I tend to get SAD during the winter months – I think the end of the year reminds me of dying, the way the environment decays and falls away, the fact that every year builds up towards December, only to begin the same monotonous cycle all over again in January…  That sounds very melodramatic when written down.  This is coming out all wrong.  All I know is that when winter comes around, I start thinking about my death, and what will happen to my soul, and the fear of the unknown takes over me.  Thankfully, in the past twelve months or so my mental health has improved greatly, and this year I want to avoid SAD completely if I can.  The more time I spend with good company, the less I dwell on the morbid thoughts that float through my head at this time of year.  I’ve managed to fit lots of things into  the next two months to keep myself busy and happy, including visiting my good friend Rose in Nottingham, performing at the Swansea Feminist Network fundraiser, Reclaim the Night London, Reclaim the Night Cardiff, and the new SFN radical feminist reading group.  I’m also going to try and do a few tasks from “365 Ways to Change the World“.  I’m looking forward to keeping myself busy and having lots of fun despite the miserable season.  Plus, Christmas is on its way, and nothing cheers me up more than an excuse to stuff my face and buy presents for people.

Music News: I’ve become a columnist for feminist music blog The Girls Are! I’m writing a fortnightly column about being a female musician breaking into the local music scene.  My first column is going live sometime in the next week.  Keep your eyes open for it!

Zine News: Spill the Zines is still ticking away nicely, though I’m having trouble getting people interested in writing for us.  I can handle the workload of editing the blog now, but I’m worried that it’ll slip by the wayside now that I’m working.
Also, Pandora Press #2 is on its way to the printers!  Here’s the cover I designed for the zine.  I’m not 100% happy with it, but it’s okay.

Pandora Press #2

Other News: I’ve uploaded my graphic design portfolio to Facebook.  I find myself designing posters and zine stuff for the Swansea Feminist Network a lot recently, so I thought it’d be nice to gather them all in one place, and possibly offer my services to others for a small price.  Take a look.

My face looks weird here because I was suppressing a laugh, I think!

But I got bored of it after years of the same colour.  I wasn’t brave enough to change up the style, so I went through dying phases.  First, dark brown in 2005:

Then, deep pinks and purples in 2007:

2007, in The Jolly Tar. I love my hair here.

This was a Stargazer dye, so it all washed out within a week.

Then red in 2008:

October 2008

Then in December 2008, 2 months into my degree, I decided to take the plunge and bleach it.  I wanted to shake up my image a bit, do something radically different, and stand out from the crowd.  I was struggling with making friends, and naively thought that colourful hair would draw people to me (though, it must be said, it did work to a certain extent – it was certainly a good conversation starter, and many of those conversations led to decent friendships!)  So I did this:

For the past three years, almost, I’ve loved having colourful hair.  The pros of having colourful hair are, in my opinion:

-          Colourful hair is its own accessory. You can wear jeans and a t shirt and still look good.

-          You become instantly memorable (“who’s she?” “the one with purple hair”).

-          It’s a conversation starter. People have started talking to me on buses, in shops, in toilets, and on the street about my hair.

-          It tends to attract other “alternative”-ish people. (one of my old uni friends told me that the reason she decided to start talking to me was because she thought my hair was cool)

-          Kids getting excited when they see your hair in public – “look mummy, look at her hair! Can I have blue hair?” I love that. <3

-          Obviously it looks cool as fuck.

I’ve dyed it many colours since then; here’s a quick selection:

However, three years later, I’ve finally decided to dye it back to a normal colour – probably dark brown again.  Having coloured hair has lost its shine (literally and figuratively), and I’m sick of all the downsides:

-          It’s an absolute bastard to maintain.  I used to dye my hair dark brown, and as long as I dyed it every 6 weeks or so, when my roots came through and the colour started losing vibrancy, the colour always looked fantastic.  Now, with purple hair, I need to dye it every two weeks, and bleach the roots every month, if I want to keep it looking good.  I can’t afford to do it that often, which means that I usually spend half my time having grey-tinted hair and brown roots.

-          Dirty looks from sanctimonious strangers.

-          Creepy come-ons from strange men who think it’s acceptable to stroke your hair when it’s an unusual colour. No dude, it’s still my hair, FUCK OFF.

-          Dirty men who ask you if the carpet matches the curtains (true story).  Have these men considered the logistics of dying your pubic hair?!

-          Dirty men who ask if it’s true that alternative girls prefer anal (also a true story).

-          Nagging relatives asking you when you’re going to grow up and dye over it.

-          You’re less employable. I pretty much lost my retail job in 2008 because I dyed my hair purple.  Fuck BHS. (purple hair is “unnatural”, whereas white blonde with black streaks is totally fine…)

-          Stained bath towels, pillows, and collars (I learned the hard way that dark blue towels are the way forward).

-         Sometimes it’s nice not to stand out.  You can’t blend in with purple hair.

So I return to being normal and unmemorable – but with hair that’s easier to maintain.  I am mostly doing this to try and find a job – I know how stiff the competition is, and I don’t want anything to put an employer off hiring me.  *sigh*  I’m also getting sick of standing out all the time, especially now that I’ve left the student bubble of Nottingham and am in the “real world”.  Sitting in a doctor’s waiting room, or in the Job Centre, feeling people’s eyes on me when I wish I was invisible… it’s not a nice feeling.  I’m almost looking forward to being a normal colour again, actually.

Recently I’ve been really het up on the issue of reproductive rights – first by all this Tory shit and Theresa’s May (thankfully rejected) attempt to restrict abortion access; then by reading through the vast amount of anti-choice bullshit posted on the new PostSecret app, which served to remind me how ignorant and judgemental people can be:

I recently read a fantastic zine called “Jane: Documents from Chicago’s Clandestine Abortion Service, 1968-1973″, which reminded me exactly why abortion is so important to keep legal, and what difficulties women will face if abortion access is restricted.  While we’re not under as much threat as the US are, I think it’s still important to remember how lucky we are, and how precarious our reproductive rights are under a Tory government (Anne Milton MP commented that the government supports the ‘spirit of the amendments’, even if the amendments themselves were rejected).

Anyway.  Inside “Jane”, they printed the original information brochure that was passed out by the Abortion Counselling Service in the late 1960s, part of which dealt with the “social problem” of abortion.  It’s frightening how this brochure was printed 40 years ago, and yet many of the problems listed still exist in today’s society.  I could never make an argument as eloquent as this, so I’m posting it here for everyone to read. Enjoy!

“Women should have the right to control their own bodies and lives.  Only a woman who is pregnant can determine whether she has enough resources – economic, physical and emotional – at a given time to bear and rear a child.  … Cultural, moral and religious feelings are largely against abortion, and society does all it can to make a woman feel guilty and degraded if she has one.

The same society that denies a woman the decision not to have a child refuses to provide humane alternatives for women who do have children, such as child care facilities to permit the mother to work, or role flexibility so that men can share in the raising of children.  The same society that insists that women should and do find their basic fulfillment in motherhood will condemn the unwed mother and her fatherless child.

The same society that glamorises women as sex objects and teaches them from early childhood to please and satisfy men views pregnancy and childbirth as punishment for “immoral” or “careless” sexual activity, especially if the woman is uneducated, poor, or black.  The same morality that says “that’s what she gets for fooling around” also fails to recognise society’s responsibility to the often unwelcome child that results.  Punitive welfare laws reflect this view, and churches reinforce it.

Only women can bring about their own liberation. it is time for women to get together to change the male-made laws and to aid their sisters caught in the bind of legal restrictions and social stigma.  Women must fight together to change the attitudes of society about abortion … We are for every woman having exactly as many children as she wants, when she wants, if she wants.  It’s time the Bill of Rights applied to women.  It’s time women got together and started really fighting for their rights.  Governments have to be made to realize that abortions are part of the health care they must provide for the people who support them. 

-

(note: any abusive/aggressively anti-choice comments will not be approved. You’re not going to change my mind.)

First person to comment on this blog entry gets the bag!

I’m tabling at Sheffield Zine Fair this Sunday (25th September)!  I’ll be selling issues #4 – #9 of Here. In My Head. (more info about each can be found on my website), and issue #1 of Pandora Press (the proceeds of which will go to the Swansea Feminist Network).  Pick up my zines in person to skip postage costs.   Also, if you win the grab bag and are going to Sheffield Zine Fair, you won’t need to Paypal me postage money, as I can give the zines to you in person!  :)

I’m also tabling at Camden Zine Fest on 8th October, where I’ll be doing a zine reading alongside Tukru (Your Pretty Face…), Lisa (Sometimes I’m Dreaming), and Emma Jane (Fanzine Ynfytyn)!  I’m nervous, but I think it’ll be lots of fun.  I need someone to watch over my stall while I’m doing my zine reading – any takers?  Get in touch if you’re interested.

095. Go without Facebook for 2 weeks - completed!

This was difficult.  Mostly because I felt completely out of the loop socially, especially in terms of the Swansea Feminist Network, as most of our organising takes place in a private group on Facebook.  I kept worrying about the things I was missing, and worrying that I’d have a mountain of notifications and unread emails to greet me when I returned (embarrassingly, I had five emails and ten notifications, and it took me all of 15 minutes to “catch up”).

Social media has become a part of everyday life for me.  As mentioned before, I use it as a quick distraction in queues or sitting in the back of the car.  I use it to publicise myself.  Without Facebook and Twitter this week, I only had about 8 blog views, whereas usually I’d have near 60 a day. You fickle bastards! (I kid, I kid)  Before I even get out of bed, I check my Facebook and Twitter timelines – not only to remain in the loop, but also because if anything happened overnight that I need to know about, it’ll usually be in my feed.  I’m ashamed to admit that I learned of many major world events of the last few months, such as Bin Laden’s death, via social media.

However, I know that I’m not alone in feeling this way about social media.  Some people whom I’ve spoken to about my little challenge have said that they could never give up Facebook, that they  find it difficult to avoid reading through other people’s Facebook profiles all the time, that their social lives are constructed via Facebook, and friendships maintained via Facebook.  As a society, we’ve come to depend on these everyday forms of communication.  On the one hand, it’s reshaping our brains and forcing our minds to think differently than they used to (as illustrated by my finding last week that my brain began thinking in tweets), and it’s leaving us with less private, contemplative time.  On the other hand, there’s so much information that I now have access to, that would not work as well offline – the Swansea Feminist Network, Carmarthenshire Musicians’ Network, Facebook event pages with all the info you need, as well as sharing important news stories and being able to gauge public opinion on said stories by what your listed friends are writing/tweeting.  So I suppose it’s all about striking a balance, isn’t it?

(By the way, I’m still not on Twitter – argh – but my Twitter withdrawal has been eased somewhat by setting up an account for Spill the Zines! Follow us here.)

-

I have a lot of projects on half in my Day Zero Project list that I’m working my way through slowly; the next major one is this:

018. Do ten tasks from 365 Days to Change the World 

I’ll try to get that done before the end of the year, and will keep track of my progress on this blog!