Best Posts in Thread: Social Media In Today's Society - Helpful or Harmful?

Based on what I've heard about "the golden age" of being black, masculine and gay...Social Media has def made black gay men effeminate, narcissistic, attention seekers that value social status & over substance.

 

First, I want to say @Sean P is the GOAT and the MVP. Just want to put it out there for the World to know

S/O to @African King for always bringing up some great topics out here. I love you my Nigerian King! Let me know when you're ready to share that $100Millions in inheritance and @NikR I ma need some of your "doctorial" services soon, I feel a little dizzy.


My point is, I wouldn't have been able to meet these three wonderful human beings(and many other fantastic CA folks) if it wasn't for social media. If used properly, it can be an incredible powerful tool to connect humans.

On the other end of the spectrum, I've seen the narcissism, the "double" offline/online personas, and the psychological toll of seeing nothing but negative, degrading, or "perfect" posts all day. Have you ever wondered how you end up on IG, Tumblr or Facebook? Try to be more mindful of this particular question "How do I end up on this social media site?" and watch out for it, you'll see how much of our psych these folks control.

 

I had a section about social media but deleted it lol. It was basically about privacy and how I am only on things like messageboards, etc. and not the "look at me" self-absorbed newer social media, although I can see how something like facebook etc. can be ok. for people just to keep up with relatives, etc. I guess. I deleted it because I think my circumstances are more because of age and generation than anything else. Having grown up without it, I don't feel a pressing need for it, especially since there is only a small circle of people who I give a damn about and there are more direct ways of keeping in touch with a small group.

*I will leave the snapchat, Instathot..er...Instagram, etc. to the organic avocado toast eating/Tide pod eating crowd lol.

 

Back in "the day" as in the late eighties/early nineties, etc. I don't remember hardly any openly really stereotypical effeminate gay men. Even when I went to the all black gay club(and that black mixed club), none of them "looked" effeminate or acted "flamboyantly" either. I did not really frequent any places where I saw many really flamboyant gays anyway-even at drag shows there were not many of them. Not sure why this was. There seemed to be average gays, inbetween gays, somewhat effeminate gays(....big gap...)then drag queens. Maybe because back then "attention seekers" were more likely to generate very negative reactions?-especially among gay black men? I don't know...

*the exception to this would be the Pride March/Parade/Festival. But even then most of the participants and crowd looked non-descript, and those that were not were more about nudity and debauchery than flamboyant effeminacy. And I am not knocking just regular plain ole' effeminacy here. Maybe the very effeminate gays were just not as "out there" and in your face being obnoxious and attention seeking as some of them seem today?

Also of course I did not know what was going on in certain scenes like the Ballroom culture and all-I just was not a part of that and really not even aware of it so I can speak to this specific thing about black gay men in only a limited extent and all.