Social media is not real life. If I have you blocked. Muted. Don’t follow back? It isn’t a indicator on how I feel about you or interact with you in real life. It literally just means I don’t wish to interact with you online. It’s not as personal as people make it out to be.

You should utilise a block button not as just a last resort to get someone to leave you alone. Utilise it as a ‘no’ or a ‘stop’ button. Some people are genuinely not fun to talk to online but can be very good socialisers irl, the reverse is also true! You can choose!

Yes, peoples actions and behaviours in the digital space do have real world ramifications. As they should. But the idea that I blocked you and therefore means I hate you and will be an arse to you irl is so backwards. I just didn’t wanna see your annoying tweets 😅

One of the biggest issues I had with being groomed or abused online. Is having empathy, sympathy and being polite to people. Overly polite. It means I was taken advantage of. There are people I should have blocked and ran from instantly, but I didn’t.

When people come to you and demand to know why you don’t follow them back? Or why you have them blocked or yadda yadda. You enforce to people who struggle to create boundaries, that they can’t. We need to normalise teaching people: block indiscriminately. It’s your feed!

There is 100% something in, the experience you have on the internet? Is a lot about what you interact with. You create and have a lot of control over your space and your feed here. Take full advantage of the control the internet gives. Don’t be guilted into interactions.

So next time you go to message someone asking: ‘why don’t you follow me back? Do you hate me?’ Stop. Ask yourself: ‘why wouldn’t they want to follow me back?’ & remember? It’s genuinely not important if they do anyway. And most importantly? Curate your online space guilt free!