StephanieChateau

Some Carmen Sandiego fans have come out of the wood work on my Instagram www.instagram.com/stephaniecel… from the #CarmenSandiego hashtag. So I decided to find some of my old Carmen Sandiego & V.I.L.E. Files art to post there for a guy who asked if I ever drew Carmen art... which made me notice I hadn't posted any on Instagram... only me cosplaying as her at conventions and traveling. I went in my folders on my computer and realized I hadn't saved any of my old stuff so decided to get it from my old CaribbeanBlue account. As I started going through it I was surprised how much more playful and silly I was. I think getting involved in politics over the years has made me "hard" and cynical. I don't want to forget what I've learned but I feel like I should do something to get back in touch with the "me" I was about a decade ago that was more light-hearted. I'm not sure how to go about it though. I wonder how many others feel this way right now. Is social media making us less social or are we becoming cynical because the truth about how the world works is right at our fingertips and the reality is a bit dystopian?  I noticed even on very popular accounts there are thousands of likes but on average only about 25-50 comments. It seems like the social aspect of many social media sites like Deviant ART, Twitter, Instagram ect. is diminishing. Is it AI censorship to try to get people to pay for ads? Self-Censorship out of fear of making "mistakes" after we've all witnessed people getting dragged for an off-hand joke that can viral to the point they are forever associated with that one joke put under the microscope by millions as now a defining part of their character? Are we so busy trying to build our own "Brand" that we're all expected to have now that we don't have time to socialize with others who we assume aren't interested in a real conversation anyway but also just trying to build theirs?  I don't know... but it's kind of lonely compared to 10 years ago. - Steph