Goodbye Casey Neistat

The social media backlash is stupid. I can’t really say how insanely stupid the most of the arguments are. And when creators, influencers and such starts to whine about that social media is bad and that they will use it less: I sort of snap.

I hate inconsistency. I might be a relativist in some regards but still: don’t try to say you are consistent and a moral standard if you aren’t.

I have written about it before but I never thought I had to write that Casey Neistat disappoints me. But today he really does.

In one of his last videos, he deletes his Twitter and his Instagram from his phones. That’s up to him to do and the argument is that he thinks he uses it too much. Sort of an addiction. Fine, leave it that way. If you feel that your use of some social media became excessive and destructive; find ways to get back to normal.

But what he then does is what makes me annoyed. To justify his choice he goes on by giving the social media and the platforms the guilt of this. Not that he can’t handle it but that those platforms are to blame. This is a blatantly stupid argument. Not new but it’s still stupid.

First; as I spoke in the previous rant. Social media made you Casey. Without social media, you would still make small film projects. Some of us can handle social media and we have followed you and liked what you’ve created. Now you say that we are wrong. We are addicts and our behaviors are unhealthy. Some will ”no he didn’t say that” but yes he did. He is an influencer and if he says he thinks it’s an unhealthy behavior his followers will too.

Second; I have held Casey for being one of the creators and influencers that haven’t raked out views and arguments without making sure they are real and sound. He might not always make scientific viable arguments but never ever sent out things that could be questioned for being ”alt news”. Until now. To make his own choice less about himself and more about social media he uses sources that at its best is anecdotal.

Some of you will, of course, try to explain that it isn’t the same, that his new animosity against social media is just about himself. I understand why you want to diverse his actions from the overall idea of social media. Sadly it isn’t possible to do since he is too big of an influencer. What he says about things matter to more people than just him. He has made a point of his sayings about work or how to manage to create: ”do what you can’t” is almost like ”just do it” something his fans live by. If he says: ”I need to cut down on social media” and then give us a sort of general argument of why to do it — people will follow him.

And yes: it’s such a strange logic to diss the phenomenon that really made him a star. So for the moment, I will say goodbye to Casey Neistat because I don’t need to watch someone who forgets what’s made him.