Not wanting to sign up for Threads: my cognitive dissonance about Zuckerberg.

I rarely complain about social media. Thanks to Facebook and Instagram, I’ve stayed in touch with friends and relatives — across decades and continents. Thanks to these platforms, I can follow the athletes and artists I love. I also like following entertainers, especially those who do humor and comedy.

Is there a dark side to social media? Sure. Privacy breaches, time wastage, and the widely reported negative impact on teenagers’ mental health. But then many other things are “bad” for you if used recklessly or consumed without moderation — driving, drinking, eating, partying, and even seemingly innocent activities like sports.

I am also critical of people who disrespect successful people. The empires built by the likes of Musk and Zuckerberg are not about luck. They are about intelligence, hard work, and often sacrifice. Zuckerberg wouldn’t make to my top 100 list I’d want to have lunch with (not that he cares), and I see a lot of insincerity in his virtual signaling, but I respect what he’s achieved. I am a little fatigued of Musk’s excessive presence in every possible plane of life, but I also respect his versatility and the extraordinary ambition of some of his undertakings. I don’t worship billionaires, but I’d never disrespect them or attribute their achievements to luck.

So Threads. It feels like an opportunity for someone like me. I’m not an influencer, but I’ve been venturing into blogging and writing — with Medium, and I…