Everyone should have a voice.
Just not during my post.
Getting Toxic quietly observes one of social media’s favourite contradictions. Platforms are celebrated as places for conversation, debate and free expression, right up until the conversation starts travelling in an unexpected direction. Praise counts as engagement. Disagreement somehow becomes “toxicity.” Indi-Glo Blue isn’t interested in online arguments as much as the strange performance surrounding them: announcing departures, explaining breaks, limiting comments for wellbeing, then returning a week later because the algorithm, unfortunately, never learned to miss anybody. It’s a song about wanting an audience more than a discussion, and discovering they’re not quite the same thing.
Million people following, so naturally you’ve got some things to say,
another little lesson for the people getting life the wrong way.
Free speech matters, every voice deserves a chance to make some noise,
funny how it works much better when they’re listening to your voice.
Thousands tell you “well said”, hundreds tell you that you’re right,
all that healthy conversation carrying you through the night.
Then a few start answering, apparently they’ve got opinions too,
that’s when open conversation gets a little toxic for you.
Use your voice, speak your mind,
everyone deserves one…
the approved kind.
It’s getting toxic, something’s changed,
people keep replying in completely different ways.
It’s getting toxic, can’t you see?
Everybody gets a voice,
just preferably not at me.
Praise is healthy feedback, disagreement’s something else instead,
one gets hearts and thank-you messages, the other’s better left unread.
Block another hundred while defending everybody’s right to speak,
nothing inconsistent there, you’ve made that perfectly clear all week.
Comments limited for wellbeing, taking time to clear your head,
seven paragraphs explaining why you’re leaving in a thread.
Please respect the privacy surrounding everything you’ve shared,
and thanks for all the lovely public messages that show you care.
Speak your truth, make it heard,
everybody matters…
mind the words.
It’s getting toxic, something’s changed,
people keep replying in completely different ways.
It’s getting toxic, can’t you see?
Everybody gets a voice,
just preferably not at me.
Taking time away now, social media isn’t healthy anymore,
statement’s been reposted by the team who’ll keep on running things for sure.
Thanks for all the lovely comments underneath the leaving post,
nice to know that stepping out can somehow generate engagement most.
Back to clarify the rumours, back to thank you for support,
back because the press have taken something slightly out of sorts.
Then a quiet week of healing till there’s something new to plug,
welcome back, refreshed and stronger,
please remember, like and love.
Stepping back, logging out,
one more post to tell you all about.
It’s getting toxic, something’s changed,
people keep replying in completely different ways.
It’s getting toxic, can’t you see?
Everybody gets a voice,
just preferably not at me.
It’s getting toxic, time to leave,
thank you for respecting this announcement in your feed.
It’s getting toxic, that’s enough…
See you when I’ve something new to plug.