You’ll need to post on instagram
Tightening jaw, shoulders heavy tense aching, a dark gnawing fuzzy within my chest, the skin on my arms prickles. oh no. not that.
I have a very strong personal rule against using social media.
I have had the luxury of being a hermit, ensconced in my own little low income life and while this has resulted in some debt it has given me an even greater luxury: I haven’t needed to engage with the burning pit of horror and exploitation that is social media in 2026.
At every level of my being I disagree with the worldview and actions undertaken by the current president of the united states of america, as an extension of this I have refused to contribute to platforms owned by the cadre of billionaire tech ghouls who have aligned themselves with him.
So no instagram for me.
I kept my account because I don’t want to deal with the username being taken by someone else and used to impersonate me. I deleted everything I had ever posted anywhere, removed the apps and got on with my life.
Until I decided to put on a night of fooling at The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol.
It turns out the way to let people know about an event is via posting on instagram. Everyone is there. It is a totally normal and mundane aspect of promotion. If I did not post on instagram I would be letting down the other performers, reducing sales, costing an independent venue money, and excluding large numbers of people from ever knowing the night exists.
I fought with myself for months, I almost didn’t go ahead with the night just so that I could maintain my injunction. I felt nothing but revulsion at the idea that I would need to post on instagram.
Even after agreeing a date I tried for several weeks to promote the night without using social media. I sold 15 tickets.
With a terrible sense of defeat I created a reel and posted it. My joy and labour again contributing to the power of people doing enormous harm. I created two more. They have been seen by over 1000 people. We have sold more tickets.
I had been able to exist for a while as an ethically congruent hermit, it had been neutral, as much as I could have hoped for. But I have chosen to engage with the world again and there is always a cost to be paid.
So be it, I am committed to making it worthwhile.
https://www.instagram.com/ed_rapley
