Why I Haven't Been Posting
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 чер 2024
- Get a copy of my book → bit.ly/SortedPaperback
Listen to my daily podcast, the Cool Stuff Ride Home → podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
In which I discuss why I've been less active on UA-cam, do an audit of my channel, examine my relationship to social media, and share how I plan to engage with this channel going forward.
___
More videos I think you'll like:
→ 5 Years Later | FTM Transition Video Timeline
• FTM Home Video Timelin...
→ Do I Regret Sharing Pre-Transition Photos?
• Do I Regret Sharing Pr...
→ Trans Dudes From History, Vol. 1
• Trans Dudes From Histo...
___
I get most of the music for my videos from Epidemic Sound. They're an amazing resource for creators. Want in? Use my referral link to sign up and I'll get a li'l kick back: www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
___
✌️Subscribe → bit.ly/subtojackisnotabird
and hit that 🔔 for notifications!
🔴 My TED Talk, "How to talk (and listen) to transgender people"
→ go.ted.com/jacksonbird
🎧 My Podcast, Everything's Bigger
→ everythingsbigger.simplecast.com
🎧 My Daily Podcast, the Kottke Ride Home
→ ridehome.info/podcast/kottke-r...
📙My Book, Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place
→ bit.ly/SortedBook
___
N O T Y O U T U B E
twitter → / jackisnotabird
instagram → / jackisnotabird
S T I L L N O T Y O U T U B E
🙌 Become a Patron → / jacksonbird
✨ Get some merch → dftba.com/jacksonbird
📚 See my book recs → / jackisnotabird
🎤 Book me to speak → freshspeakers.com/speakers/jac...
V I N T A G E M A I L 📬
Jackson Bird
PO Box 3003
Astoria, NY 11103
A B O U T M E
👋 I'm Jackson Bird and I make (hopefully) funny, (sometimes) educational videos for LGBTQ+ nerds like me - and the people in our lives that want to understand us better.
Here on JACKISNOTABIRD, you can find new videos (roughly) once a month sharing my experiences as a bisexual trans guy, answering questions about LGBTQ+ issues, exploring trans history, and sometimes showing what happens when you put weird stuff on a waffle iron.
Beyond this channel, I'm a writer, podcaster, performer, public speaker, and pub quiz host. You can learn more about my work at jacksonbird.cool
If you want to hire me to speak at your school, event, or business, you can email my speaking bureau at laura@freshspeakers.com
Writing inquiries can be directed to O'Connor Literary at kevin@oconnor.nyc
Please send other business inquiries to jacksonbirdbiz@gmail.com
P L A Y L I S T S
→ Transitioning 101 / FTM
• Transitioning 101 / FTM
→ Booktube
• Booktubing
→ My Transition
• Transition Videos
→ Will It Waffle?
• Will It Waffle?
___
😍 This video brought to you in part by the following Patrons:
Asher Hundley
Blop
Catherine Aust
Chris Frank
Micah Roberts
Nik Hansen
Rene DeGames
Ryan Winter
Sean Uppling
Talia Franks
Will Shughart
Want to see your name here? Become a Patron! / jacksonbird
Whenever I notice someone hasn't been posting, I always assume they have a great life that doesn't include UA-cam.
Nope. In my case I put myself into fetal position full of tears constant obsession with existential crisis... I have no life 😭 if anything youtube made me more productive
@@fragolegirl2002 I think I am more aligned to your thinking but I am even darker. There is a reason we stopped hearing from the following in 2023: Henry Berg-Brousseau (24) Kayleigh Scott (25) Vanessa Vincenzo Barrett (33). Its called suicide. We could add Ruby Taverner (22) but his suicide was in 2022 and his is tricky given he was caught up in the random violence against trans-people. Before killing himself he shot his transgender partner Ray Muscat (24) and then his brother. It doesnt have to be this way IF people follow Jackson's lead or Arthur Rockwell. Interestingly, two uplifting people that waited until their 20's to transition.
Hey everyone, thanks for watching! I'll be back in the coming months with videos about being 7(!) years into transition, hopefully a pretty cool collab, and more! Looking forward to digging more into trans history as the year goes on. Happy Trans Day of Visibility to all who are watching on the day the video went live!
Thanks for the video!
I will now comment on a few of your videos for the algorithm 😉
We're on the same wavelength! My seven year tr-anniversary is also this year! Thanks for an awesome video, glad to hear you are well, albeit busy. Can't wait for the next will it waffle!
Roses are red violets are blue i like your content and so i do you, that was so weird omg. I wish you the best BUT i still hope for the 1 video in 2023, i gotta get updated on you on yt.. i hope youre doing good, great and thanks for your active times 😂
Honestly my experience with social media is just that it’s draining. Like there can be so much positive stuff on here but there is just as much negative and sometimes the overload of so much information is just so draining. I’ve definitely found myself trying to spend less time on it (sometimes even subconsciously). Great video, hope anyone who’s reading this has a good day :)
Totally adding "end of video finisher" to my CV! Thrilled to see you back!
As another trans guy soon approaching my thirties, I love to see us just living our lives. I really appreciate your videos like this and I’m excited to see what you do at whatever pace you do it at, I’m all here for it. On the social media topic, I have so many contradictory feelings and it’s frustrating. I also have the fantasies where it doesn’t exist and I’m outside painting and tending to a greenhouse, but I can’t escape the fear of missing out, especially because I’m so absorbed into art communities that I really love and thrive off of. It’s simultaneously inspiring and debilitating. More recently I’m in a vicious cycle of having creative overload, but being burnt out even though I’m not actually creating anything. I so desperately want to be making art again but fill my time watching what other artists are doing. Fomo is maddening. I probably need to really force some change if I ever want to find a healthy balance. Really love your idea of cutting everything off for 24 hours.
Yeah I think an alternative to that could be having small irl communities where you could share that connection and not have the downsides of media, sure there is a benefit with having the larger connection, like how the whole world knows about the Ukraine war and more help is reaching there, even people in Russia know what's really happening, which would be a lot harder without the internet. But still humans thrive more in smaller communities, human evolution simply hasn't catched up to getting this much information thrown at us every day
I'm feeling this too. Creative, but burnt out.
I have a lot of exciting things happening and I want to share them here: I am finishing up my last semester of undergrad studying English with a focus on editing and publishing. Next, I am going to grad school in Ireland for library and information science. I also have an interview with a book publisher to become an editorial intern. I have two dream jobs and because I had enough scholarships offered to me, I was able to pursue both. After grad school, I will be pursuing a job as an editor for a book publishing company. I am at the point in my life where I am loving everything that is happening and I am so excited for the future. I've also been dipping a toe in content creation as I have been keeping people updated on my life with my Tiktok channel.
I have stopped using any social media other than UA-cam. I like that I have a specific subscription feed, that I get into "doomscrolling" less often because it's easy to get back to the positive side of things, and that it's harder to get sucked into it in public because of the audio aspect. Overall, I think it's the only social media that actually has a positive influence on me, and that's why I'm here.
stoked to see all the stuff you do moving forward! also, your hair is looking absolutely INCREDIBLE these days ..
edit just to say: i think it's good that we all remember that our relationship with the internet/our online presence is always subject to change. balance between online stuff, real world responsibilities, etc. can change from day to day and are so interwoven that i think we should all give ourselves room to be flexible with what we need and realize that our priorities and need or lack thereof of technology will probably always be shifting and evolving!
The thought and intention in a video like this is always so appreciated and can’t go unnoticed ! Looking forward to seeing everything you put out this year and beyond!
really looking forward to seeing whatever you wanna post in the future! it's great to see trans people not in their mid twenties just living life yk
glad to hear from you on what you've been thinking and looking forward to what you decide to post next. i think balance is the word this year; not scrolling as much so i can nap more, read when the urge arises, enjoy tv and movies and time with friends and loved ones is the goal. :]
The end of video finishers are grateful you post the content we get to watch through; just know we’ll be here after any hiatuses or breaks, so don’t hesitate to take them.
As for social media, I’ve pretty much left it entirely. It doesn’t do much of anything for me except add unnecessary pressures. I can get and do everything I want without it. The world goes on, and so shall I.
Jack, I must tell you. About 3 months ago I watched a documentary about competitive NES Tetris and I have truly fallen down a deep dark excellent Tetris hole. The amount of tetris i've watched on twitch is wild. I am in like 8 discords about tetris. It is so fun to observe and is one of the most regular joy-producing internet-based things for me. So your mention of this really cracked me up. Once again, John knew what's what. Since his video, another new playing technique has been developed so all the world records are constantly being broken again. It's great.
Also I have struggled a lot with the endless refresh/read/read too much/get annoyed/mad etc part of social media while being able to keep up and communicate with nonlocal friends. As we all (mostly) do. Think I'm heading in the right direction though. I'm glad you have found some balance and are able to step away often. Good to hear from ya.
Outside of watching twitch I don't tend to consume social media on a daily basis. I have them, but typically I tend to do nothing more than open the apps to clear any notifications I may have, or scroll mindlessly through videos on occasion. This is mostly because it tends to be mentally draining and the out of order feeds leave me feeling as if I'm constantly missing something, so it's easier just to not use it. Glad to hear you've been doing well and that you're looking to find that balance that works for you. Can't wait to see what you come up with going forward.
Thank you so much for the genuine update! Really appreciated hearing how you've been doing! I have also been looking for that balance when it comes to social media! Hope you're able to set aside more time for rest and prioritize hobbies that you care about moving forward!
Wow, that ending made me feel very warm and fuzzy. Good to hear from you again, and I look forward to whatever you’re making in the future!
What you said about wanting to form your own opinions and not just echo what you read on social media feeds really rings true for me. I just lost entire groups of friends and online communities because I didn't share an opinion, as it didn't line up with my own lived experience. I'm still reeling from it since I had spent a large part of the past two years hanging out with these people. I never hurt anyone but I'm being treated like I'm an active threat. It has been a breath of fresh air to be able to just move on and not feel like I have to be constantly checking for updates online. A lot of the folks in this group are younger than me and end up intrapolicing more often than is healthy - I worry about kids and teens growing up on twitter since this seems to be getting more common.
Really enjoyed this video, thank you!
Honestly, my relationship with the internet has gotten better in 2022. I like it best when I follow specific people, as opposed to letting an algorithm decide what I should see for the day. I’ll check in on my favorite writers’ Twitters, but I also like reading newsletters. The idea of no internet makes me sad, but I definitely get nostalgic for 2000’s internet. (29 and nostalgic ;-;)
ALSO: I love that one of the “What I’ve been up to” clips is a video of a lizard on a really old TV. I have so many questions lol
And I love your daily podcast! I'm all for balanced internet, and a "slower" but richer platform. Best of luck in your efforts.
Hey!! Awesome to see you again, Jackson 😎 nice to hear what you’ve been up too. Social media is also something that I’m trying to find a balance with right now. The negativity and hate gets to me. I try to fill my time with more constructive content nowadays. Less mindless scrolling and more intent. Keep up with my fav creators on UA-cam and manage my dogs Instagram so all I see there is puppies. UA-cam is also a “free college” to me so that time is productive. Facebook is used for marketplace and that’s it. Too much hatred and awful news there. When I dive too far into social media, my own mental health suffers. I try to use my time wisely 💛 I think some social media distance is totally healthy and necessary!
I’m really happy that you’re back. You were one of my favorite youtuber that gave me strength to go into my transition. Thanks for all of your work
I love the Kottke Ride Home, I always listen to it after listening to the news so I don't feel like the world is only terrible, so I really loved seeing your set up for recording it. I can't wait to see what awesome new videos you come out with!
Aw thank you Jackson, we appreciate you too! 👍
My relationship with social media is OMG what is that!??! lol... I tried opening an Instagram account, have no clue what to do with it. I opened a tiktok account just to see what kinds of links people were sending me but never put anything up myself. I have a Facebook account but only go on there maybe once or twice a year. UA-cam is my place to watch fun, supportive, and entertaining videos. I don't watch things that make me sad or shocked in a bad way. I mostly follow science, trans, and entertainment like music videos and such. Social media is mainly UA-cam for me, it's kind of like my support group for things that I'm interested in.
Thank you for catching us up on things! Your podcast sounds interesting, thank you for letting us know you have one! 😃👍
Stay safe, sane, and keep up with finding that happy balance of life and internet 😁
Thanks for filling us in! I really like hearing about what you’ve been up to :)
Thanks for giving us this video! I'm in my mid-twenties, and I just stepped into my identity as a transmasc person this year. It's been a major comfort to listen to the Ride Home while in the chaos of coming out--not only because it's a great show, but also as evidence that you were out there in the world as a trans guy, focusing on what you wanted to focus on and just living your life. The past year has felt like life upheaval after life upheaval; listening to your show helped me find a more grounded perspective within all of that, and reminded me that life's not gonna be chaotic in that way forever. It's really nice to see you back on youtube, especially with such an introspective focus.
To respond to your end-of-vid prompt: Social media has been super tied to identity for me. Being at an age where I grew up with it, there were a few years of authenticity, but then it became very about performance and real-life teenage social pressure. Then, after a few college internships in social media management that totally burned me, I dropped it completely. I only really got back on it in this past year, once I found some authenticity for myself and started making more genuine connections in my life. After making a major career change to pursue more authentic creative interests, a lot of the people in my life are now professional comedians/actors/performers. They not only have to maintain an active social media presence for their work but also travel a lot, so social media became a natural way to be more connected with each other and involved in each other's lives.
I actually posted on instagram today for the first time in five years! I'm definitely cautious about the impact social media can have on self-perception and participation in life, but I look forward to managing it with the intention of inviting the people I care about into my life and facilitating friendships irl.
I'm excited to see that you're posting again! I'm looking forward to whatever comes next :)
It's great to see you whenever - if ever - you feel like posting! Had no idea about the new podcast and am def gonna check that out. Social media gives me bad FOMO so though I have anonymous "lurker" IG and twitter accounts, I only go on there once every few months, and only to follow people I don't know directly IRL. I also try not to follow influencers who might give me a negative/unrealistic body image.
I was so happy to see you post! Been listening to the podcast and absolutely love it, you're doing fantastic work! I'm excited to see your exploration of social media and video making as well as trans history!!
PS that new camera is gorgeous, congrats!
First off… I LOVE YOUR HAIR!!!!
My relationship with social media is strictly pictures. I pretty much only use Facebook, and the reason why is because I do photography. (Snapchat sucks because I like my work to actually be there in 24 hours when I post it.) With Facebook I make albums, put the pictures in my albums, and then I have space on my phone to take 10,000 more pictures!!! (I actually have space for more than that, but you get the gist.) I also love that I can adjust the privacy settings to who can and can’t see my pictures. If I only want say 2 people to see an album, or even just a few photos out of an album, I can make that happen. If I want it so that only I can see an album, I can make it happen. It’s perfect, and it allows my friends and family to keep up with my life. (Based on how much or how little I want them to know about my personal life.)
Ahh a new camera! That’s the same one I have (just a few years newer)! I very much feel like My Internet has been even more important to me these days than it used to be. There was a while in my life where I was too young to drive or go anywhere by myself and the internet helped me feel like I could reach people and places that made me feel good about who I am while stuck in a place that did not feel that way for me. There was a while in the middle where I got out a lot more and traveled a lot and had so many adventures surrounded by people I love, but now with the way the world is, I’m finding new ways to connect with other people online and that’s made it easier to be stuck at home again. I’ve joined some Discord servers, met a lot of new friends, even joined a new fandom that has been really energizing me socially and creatively. It’s always been very much what I make of it, and while I do find myself doomscrolling and worrying, that is not a new phenomenon for me - I would worry whether I was aware of everything I should be worrying about or not, to be honest.
Having a job with a consistent paycheck outside of content creation has been the main thing that has helped my mental health in regards to UA-cam these last few years, though. Now that I don’t have to rely on the success of platforms that earn me fractions of pennies at a time, I get to create things just because I want to. They don’t need to financially succeed the way they had to before and that has been really freeing.
You actually made me almost cry at the end... I don't usually comment, but I've been watching your channel for quite a few years. I appreciate your being honest like this, sharing a bit more of your life with us. And I guess I also got a little emotional because I've just started producing content online for the past month to promote my business (on Instagram) and I get it when you say that the audience that watches this kind of content of yours until the end is the one that really gets it. I'm finally experiencing first hand what it's lile to produce content and have to see whether people care about it or not, and it feels good when people care about something that's important for you.
I actually only found this video just now because UA-cam has implemented a new feature to create groups of channels, and I decided to create one for channels that I thought were pretty inactive, but whose content I really like, and I added yours. Glad I did that!
On my relationship with the internet, I'd say it's mostly positive, especially because for the most part I tend to gravitate towards UA-cam and watch videos I really like. I also comment whenever I feel like it and there's no pressure to interact all the time, I can just consume content. This has changed a little since I've been on Instagram every day lately because of my business account, and it gets overwhelming pretty quickly.
Anyway, thanks for this video. I also wanted to add that while watching it I realized just how well spoken you are. You speak so clearly and use some vocabulary that not everyone uses casually. I'm Brazilian and teach English for a living, and I appreciate the way you speak because it reminds me of words I don't usually remember to use 😄
Have a good one! ❤
So nice to see you in my sub box again! I totally agree about UA-cam being a ‘slower’ social media platform. I gave up twitter about 3 months ago and never looked back - UA-cam, podcasts and Insta combined all fulfil more of what makes me happy to be engaged with the social internet. Which is beauty, thoughtful discussion and learning. It’s a much better headspace for me. I’m super excited to hear more about you on this channel, what you’re up to and things you’re thinking about. I love your normal content but I love to hear about the people behind my favourite content as well!
Glad you're back. For me social media is mostly good. Literally my only friends I have right now are people I met on social media. It's helped me engage with people.
As a 30 something professional I connect well with your videos and perspective on the world. Can’t wait to see more content.
I use social media to stay informed but mostly to watch funny things that take me out of the world around me even if only for a minute.I find myself scrolling for hours and hours and hate the hold it has on me but still can’t seem to stop. I don’t like dealing with my own thoughts.
I don’t engage with social media. Permanently deleted Facebook in 2020 and stopped posting on Instagram. I never got into Twitter. Whenever I go there all I see are arguments. I don’t understand why anyone would want to be on that site.
I’ve been thinking a lot about many of the same things regarding being a creative with an online presence. It’s difficult! But I’m excited for the future too. I recently found your channel and can’t wait to see what you make next
Thank you for making videos and community. I'm so glad you are back. -end of video finisher
Glad to see you back! I don’t check every single channel on every social media that I have that often but I’m glad I checked your video, made me think and realise that I sometimes I do switch off all notifications on my phone to get that space to be free of constant scrolling and chatting and do something. Helps a lot to focus on what’s really important to me and maintain my mental health, on such days I am usually less anxious or wary and this feels great! Hope you find your balance.
I always appreciate what you have to say, Jackson, and am excited to see whatever you create in the future! I also DEFINITELY feel the constant flip flop between believing social media can be a beautiful thing and wanting to delete social media forever and live in the woods. Mostly I side with the latter. I feel so much more creative without it, just existing in the present world. Yet here I am, commenting on a youtube video. It's a conundrum.
Really loved this, super insightful and honest :D my personal relationship with social media is rocky, and i often deactivate my accounts for weeks/months at a time. I find it is cool for a while but then a switch will flip and suddenly it's pretty awful.
you are awesome Jackson! 🤗so excited for whats coming next and also i could relate so much about the grind and the feelings of how to take breaks and social media in general…. i hope you find your balance sending lots if good vibes… :)
I’m glad to see you’re posting again, and I can’t wait to see what you do next, but I totally get wanting to find a balance with social media. Honestly online is the only place where I don’t have to lie, where I can openly express the fact that I’m trans without getting yelled at and told I need to be “fixed” by parents or constantly being deadnamed and misgendered at school. And yes there are obviously negative parts, but idk there’s a sense of community and support i’ve found online that I don’t have irl. Anyway, happy trans day of visibility 🏳️⚧️
So nice to see your face! Thoughts on social media: I quit Facebook a couple years or so ago because it was just not doing anything positive for me, and I am so glad I did! It has made my life so much nicer. Now I just have UA-cam and Discord, and that's plenty for me. UA-cam is nice because I can decide what I want to watch and when I feel like watching it, as well as unsubscribing to anything I haven't watched much recently, or I'm just not enjoying. Discord has been good because I'm part of servers created by friends, so they're small groups. Much less overwhelming than sites like Facebook or Instagram. Discord is also so much better for good discussions. This is what has worked for me, and I'm sticking with it. I'm good with those two platforms being my only social media.
Glad to see you back!
That clip of the podcast definitely piqued my interest. I hadn't heard any of it before but it definitely sounds cool!
I'm glad I saw you streaming today then thought to check your page so I could catch this! I stumbled onto your podcast about a year ago and have been listening off and on since with delight. It's so good to get caught up on interesting things happening in the world when everything else seems so bleak and one note, thanks to social media.
My curiousity gets the better of me though and I have to ask if something happened that you dropped the Kottke relationship. it just seemed like one day you were on there and the next off.
All this said, i love watching you grow and change as well as your content. I'm here for it all!
I agree and have been in the habit of being on social media too much. Thanks for letting us know. I enjoy all of your videos!
love you Jackson! wonderful seeing you again!
So glad to see you back. Will it waffle gave me some great giggles during lockdown. I use social media mostly as a way to keep up with those I'm geographic separated from. I have family and friends in about 8 timezones on 4 continents. I also follow work stuff so I know what customers are seeing. It does get negative but as I tend towards toxic positivity, sometimes it's what I need to remind myself that I'm allowed to get mad about things.
My kids and I get good laughs together over Will It Waffle and it's been a great way to spend silly time together, guessing if something will waffle and what it will look like if it does (or don't). It's been wonderful.
hell yeah, end of video finisher here
I'm excited to see your future content!
End of video finisher is definitely going to be one of my biggest accomplishments of the week.
I started watching this channel after stumbling across the 365 Words video on tumblr yeaaaaaars ago, so it's nice to pause and thing about how much time as passed. Also ngl I expected the answer to 'why i haven't been posting' to be 'because of the pandemic,' despite the fact that i've been listening to Ride Home since last august, so clearly I have no object permanence. Congrats on finally having a regular podcast release schedule (rip Transmission, (jks).
The only social media I actively engage in is tumblr. But the closer I get to entering teaching, the more I've been thinking about how that might effect things. What if a student accidentally finds my tumblr? Should I change my name on facebook to avoid curious parents or students? Should I get a twitter to connect with other teachers, even though the reason I don't have twitter is because it would be a black hole of procrastination? Will I be able to stay in touch with online friends, or will I be too busy - or will they be a distraction? And then I remember I'm not even there yet and I have assignments to finish, and don't come to any conclusions.
Anyway, it didn't really feel like you went anywhere, but welcome back!
I personally would love to see some videos about your creative process. Many creators treat their content as a product to be monetized, what you touch on is something so much more. The art, your art.
And that is one of the most fascinating things imo, because it's a much deeper level of connection.
It's not a connection based on seeing ones reflection, although people can see themselves in the artist. It's about learning the artist... the creator, the person.
And I think the world would be so much better if people could learn to see other people.
Anyways. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for the update . Must admit I’ve been worrying about you. I’m glad you’re finding a happy balance in life. As much as I love your content you don’t owe anyone your time. Love your life. 💜
I’m so glad to see you back! I assumed you were just living your life and hopefully having a good time. I started watching you in late 2018 when I started to know I was trans but seriously think I could push it away for the rest of my life. Spoiler alert, it took less than a year for that to come to a screeching halt. I got drunk and came out to everybody and myself. Whenever I am feeling dysphoric or depressed about being trans, I turn on your video tackling doubt. I even keep a quote from it in my wallet. It helps me out a lot. As for my relationship with social media, I am almost 21 and I really grew up with it. I joined when I was 10 or 11, and I’ve met some great people on it, but I’ve also found so much toxicity. I don’t use social media often anymore, and my life became so much better. I’m currently in college and I like to imagine what it would be like without social media. Believe it or not, I don’t know anybody on my floor except my roommates. We don’t talk because everybody has headphones in even just to go do laundry. It’s incredibly saddening to me. I feel like I lost a lot of my social skills having grown up in the age of social media. Honestly? I don’t even experience FOMO. I don’t care about social media honestly.
I'm new here, just started following you this week. We are reading your book for the bi book club and now I'm watching a bunch of old videos :D Looking forward for more videos
Take it easy chad. 👊🏼😌 Love everything you do.
Really enjoyed the video like always. My relationship with social media is uh complicated to say the least. I like creating things but struggle with ideas. I like social media in theory but there's so much negativity that anytime I create anything I worry what if this reaches the wrong people.
I spontaneously quit twitter and tumblr around new years. It was supposed to be a temporary thing but I actually don't miss it at all.
UA-cam is complicated, because here I do get a lot of value, but I still also get that addictive constant refresh and eternal scrolling behavior that wastes waaaay too much of my time.
Def feel that move-to-a-remote-farm-with-minimal-amenities-fantasy feeling, and the occasional desire to quit the internet entirely. 😆 But I'm always thinking about and striving for balance (that John Green quote... *Chefs kiss*). I quite intensely curate my internet content; when I open youtube I immediately go to subscriptions to catch up on the channels I've chosen to follow, which is why I caught this video. It's still a struggle sometimes, tho, as I'll occasionally open my phone or laptop and suddenly hours are gone. It's a continual balancing act.
I listen to your daily Podcast and enjoy it thoroughly. Wishing you and all my Trans friends a happy day of Transparency. My friend Adam Cee the fantastic artist from Texas made a really great IG post about his struggles as Trans.
Well Jackson, I have to say I’m very glad that you posted this, not as creative as usual, video to bring us up-to-date on where you’re at. I have definitely missed you although I didn’t realize it at the time. Yes, this is my happy place and although I am not a creator as such I definitely love listening to and watching those who are creators. I’m not trans myself although something inside me almost wishes that I was. Meanwhile, my wife and I have a wonderful relationship. I don’t think she has ever watched any of your work and now I’m thinking I should probably introduce you to her or rather her to you. I think that she might get a lot out of your journey as you’ve shared it with us over the years. Once again thank you so much for posting again and I hope and pray that you will continue sharing more of your life with us in the future. Love you, dude❗️
You’re married and wish you were trans? Ok that’s not too weird! 🤪
Nice to see you in these parts. 👍🏻
My relationship with social media (and all media, TV, content) has changed drastically since the pandemic. I am basically addicted to all of them; it’s bad. Before pandemic, I had pretty healthy boundaries and used them to stay in touch with friends, expand my world, express myself. At least, I think I had a pretty healthy relationship. A lot of my friends are from other parts of the world or just moved far away … so it was a nice way to stay in touch and share parts of our lives with each other.
Nowadays, it’s a whole other story -- but I think the fact that I live alone is partially responsible for that.
I miss Will it Waffle lol. Good times, good times.
Nice cameras btw. 👀
I am proud of you, keep up taking care of yourself!
Looking forward to whatever comes next!
hi there!
thank you for your videos! ❤️
p.s. I really like your clothing!😅 what shops do you go to?
Glad to see you again 😊 posting for the algorithm
I hope you had a good time in Seattle. A pandemic makes it hard to show our best, but I like it here.
I love you!! You do what's best for you
I really love that idea of improving "my internet"
The pandemic was a time for many people to take stock and assess our lives. I think that is really healthy. Your channel and book were really helpful for me at a time when I needed to question my own life. Holed up in my apartment during the pandemic while also having my egg crack, it was nice to know there was at one other trans guy in NYC. For that I am grateful, and I look forward to seeing what you will do moving forward.
I love the internet, my escapism and connection. I'm changing that in June, more in life connections while staying safe from the panini. Anywho great vid dude.
Good to see you back!
Oh Jackson I relate so much to this! Ive become chronically ill, and I know that some of this has been caused by the constant overworking driven by this capitalist machine and social media. I am grateful for social media, it's helped me to find community, its helped me to find my purpose and do what I do, I still love creating content, but, I'm painfully aware that I need a different relationship with it. I want to stop feeling pressured and go back to enjoying it. I want honest authentic connection and community, not to be used as a cog in the machine!
Hey dude, been following you for a while (from another account 😅) and as a 30-something transguy I can relate and just love watching you going about in your daily live. And about social media.. well, I recently decided to share my story on this platform as well, and although I'm sometimes still nervous about possible reactions, I'm also really enjoying creating the videos :). Looking forward to new videos, with whatever topic ( and at your own pace of course :))
I only just realized I was transmasc this past November and your videos/book have been a lifeline for me, so I'm glad to hear you want to keep making more! Hope things have been well for you!
When the lockdowns started I got more into twitter because I was missing communication in my life, and it was the first thing I quit when I was allowed to go to my office again. It really is a weird toxic place even if you try to follow only people you like. UA-cam is very different for me, and it's the platform I probably won't quit anytime soon.
I'm definitely still trying to find a healthy balance with my usage of the internet and what content I watch. It's definitely not easy!
I'm a 28yo trans guy who is taking my 3rd injection of T today. :)
I was so happy to find your videos. I love that I'm like between your current age and the age at which you started T.
It helps me feel like I have someone to look to who's experience might be similar to mine (though of course different, lol). :)
Thank you for sharing your videos, whatever you choose to make of them!
I don't know why I'm choosing to leave this comment here instead of on your most recent video, which I also really loved lol.
But yeah, thank you, and I look forward to continuing to watch your videos!
So good to see you 😊
I think how you use social media or anything really depends on how you're doing in general. If you're in a bad place, like me, social media can easily become a cooping mechanism. When I was a kid it was much easier to get trapped in watching mindless content to the point where it's an addiction. As I've grown older I've started to put more focus on having the videos I watch actually have something I can learn from in them, it's easier to do on UA-cam where you have some control over what you're watching but on TikTok I still get stuck in watching things that have close to no meaning to me. In the future I hope I will be doing better and not need to distract myself as much in order to get though life
I have really appreciated your videos, Jackson. As a 58 year old gender queer person and therapist, being able to see and hear about your changes and insight has been inspiring, supportive and valuable. Your perspectives and experience gives me another means to share with my clients who are trans what the process is like. I personally understand the frustration the people go through just wishing it was all over and the transition is complete. The reality is transitioning like life is a journey. It is important that we take the subtle changes and enjoy the moments. I look forward to whatever you put out on UA-cam and whenever it happens. Thank you again, Jackson! I wish you joy, love and contentment in your life journey! I will keep watching for your videos. One of your fans, Jay
Welcome back!!
New camera smell!!! :D. Good to see you back... Waffles or no waffles.
I noticed the new camera right away.
Also, I definitely heard that one camera as “Nikon FtM,” at first.
Great to see you back Jack! Always been a great inspiration to me as a fellow trans guy.
I’m the same age as you and tbh missed out on a lot of the social media obsession that eg Gen Z have to deal with. Didn’t get into UA-cam for ages because I didn’t have broadband so it took 3 hrs to load a 3 min video… and then it would always crash haha.
Deleted twitter last year because it was just depressing/horrible. Don’t really use much else - am on Instagram but mostly follow and am followed by irl friends. So idk feel a bit too old (31 yrs) to answer the social media question 😂
Btw did you play springsteen at the end of that video?? Because 😩👌
this video got buried in my watch later but i got here eventually and i'm still a video finisher even if i'm like 6 months late to the video in question lol
i missed your videos so much!! happy day of trans visibility to us
Social media? I'm there, but I hardly ever post or interact on it. Mostly my experiences are like Discord and Telegram, when I'm not busy with work and watching more anime! xD but yeah I GUESS I've been out trans for like eight years now. Time really does pass. That's a quarter of my life cuz I'm thirty two years OLD😁 wow. Good to hear from ya again Jackson! Glad you're doin' great tbh
My experience with social media is away I keep with my family during the beginning stages of my transition.. which is coming on my 1st T shot
Hi Jack! Just wanted to say I read your book about two months ago and it resonated with me in a deep way no other trans content ever did. I wanted to thank you for sharing your story and for all the other awesome stuff you do. after reading your book I have found the strength and courage to start coming out at 24 and I still go back and reread parts when I feel like I need that perspective or reassurance. It helps more than I can ever describe in words. I'm glad to see you back and happy that you being less active is because you find joy and fulfillment in other things. I'm excited to see what you have in store for the future and again I'd like to thank you for bringing us along in your journey. Lots of love! DFTBA :)
I laughed so hard at you being able to just count how many videos you put out in each of the last two years, given I tend to post more than 100 each year...
Hurray for end of video finishers!
I also like social media slow and thorough. I probably temporarily unsubscribed from you during that vlogmas lol.
thank you for the videos that you have made. Between your vids and JammiDodger, I've managed to educate myself a bit to help my trans son with his transition as much as I can. Social media can turn into a bit of an echo chamber if you let it be your only source of information, but if you use it to just socialize and relax instead, it's not as bad. Cut toxicity out of your feed. You don't need people that make you upset in there. Make it a happy place to be.
I also took a big step back on media during 2020 an now it's almost never on my mind an im more at peace
Mine with social media is odd..I use to have Facebook but I don't get on it as much anymore or if at all..I don't think I ever wanta have Twitter unless to post art but I mostly use Instagram for that..but later I feel like my art isn't as great as it or as I thought it was before..I mean am in my 20s and my art style still feel like like a teenager drew these..am trying to improve my artstyle but it's been draining on me..not to mention I feel like it's going no where..plus I mostly draw traditional I like to draw digital soon but idk if I'll be as a good as other people on there..all and all am trying my best not to compare myself to other artists but it's not always easy..I still like showing my art every now and again but I get those doubts I guess..I don't even get that many likes on my post which is fine I never really care about that..but one time it got kinda messy to the point I had to remain myself why I post my drawings in the first place.. again..I'm trying my best to not get online too much or even just instagram(unless to see my friends art,stories or dm but that's only sometimes)...but it's just taking some time.
Hey Jackson. Just dropping in to say, hey, you are looking pretty good since I last dropped into your channel. I don't know how much you get this, but, time is treating you nicely. This transgender girl, thinks you don't look transgender. Which means you're doing good :) Keep on trucking. I use you are an example for my transgender male friends, "this could be you". Now if you guys could only figure out how to be stretched :) I'm fortunate, I'm only 5'7" Glad to hear you are keeping busy.
Commenting for the algorithm!
This inspired me to also take a break from social media. Deleted all the social media apps on my phone :)
Confusion of the highest order lol
this is so...aspirational?
Honestly, I really only use Tumblr. It's the only site where your experience is almost 100% up to you. And since I've been on the site a long time my dashboard is highly curated to be only what I want. I don't have all the horrors of the world up in the corner of the page refreshing hourly or family members posting right wing lies. For as much as people make fun of it, it really is the best social media for anyone who wants to take control of the content they are viewing. It's nice to see you again though, I'm glad you've been keeping busy and doing well. C: