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It’s Time for Upper West Siders to Come Up for Air

February 2, 2025 | 6:07 AM
in ABSURDITY, ART, COLUMNS
19

By Gary Martin

Been worried about social media a lot lately.

* * *

Gary B. Martin is an illustrator and animator who has lived on the Upper West Side for more than 30 years. His illustrations appear in the Rag on Sundays, chronicling life in the neighborhood, New York City, and the Universe. See them all here. For a broader range of Gary’s work, including animations and other motion graphics, please visit www.martoons.com

Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.

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19 Comments
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Joe
Joe
3 months ago

I never engage with social media. I used to have a myspace account. It ended there.

3
Reply
birdie
birdie
3 months ago

This is no time to be buried in your phones, looking at the same media (social, legacy or otherwise) over and over again. We need to see and hear everything.

3
Reply
Judy Orich
Judy Orich
3 months ago

Brilliant Gary…..this depiction applies globally. Thank you !!!!!

4
Reply
Neal Leibowitz
Neal Leibowitz
3 months ago

Headphones?!?!?

2
Reply
Sarah
Sarah
3 months ago

Agreed. I think banning cell phones in schools is a good start to freeing young people from the clutches of social media.

7
Reply
Don
Don
3 months ago

Guilty!

1
Reply
Matt
Matt
3 months ago

Way too many people blindly walking down the sidewalk just staring at their phones.

8
Reply
Linda
Linda
3 months ago

Don’t abandon social media entirely. There are developments that are not being adequately addressed in the respected mainstream media or are not being reported fast enough. Our country is in grave danger under Trump as unconstitutional and other criminal acts are being committed at lightning speed. For starters, I recommend following these Facebook accounts: Glee Violette, Alt National Park Service, Christopher McCary, Politics Girl.

7
Reply
ecm
ecm
3 months ago
Reply to  Linda

I could not agree with you more regarding the Trump crisis. But you know, there’s no need whatsoever for social media in general or Facebook in particular, since everything of value one could ever aspire to read or write may be read or written right here at WSR!

0
Reply
ecm
ecm
3 months ago
Reply to  ecm

Shameless.

0
Reply
Peter
Peter
3 months ago
Reply to  Linda

Try Red Note too, comes highly recommended!

1
Reply
Debfrombrooklyn
Debfrombrooklyn
3 months ago

This is another perfect example of Gary’s take on the world.

2
Reply
Joanna
Joanna
3 months ago

Spot on, Gary. All of us—except Joe—have retreated into our cozy digital rabbit holes while chaos reigns above.

2
Reply
Joe Chiplock
Joe Chiplock
3 months ago

You must have read my mind. I took a week off from a certain social media platform in support of a boycott campaign that took place because of hateful policy changes made to said social media platform. The week went by quickly, I didn’t miss the platform, AND I discovered a much more welcoming place to socialize online. Thanks for saying this outloud, Gary.

4
Reply
ecm
ecm
3 months ago
Reply to  Joe Chiplock

Cautionary note: boycotting the platform is one thing, abandoning its advertising quite another:
https://reason.com/2025/02/03/no-elon-it-isnt-illegal-to-boycott-x/

0
Reply
ecm
ecm
3 months ago
Reply to  Joe Chiplock

I think I know the platform you mean! I myself have it blocked at the DNS level for good measure.

0
Reply
Patrice L
Patrice L
3 months ago
Reply to  Joe Chiplock

Great social justice warrior, good for you, nice virtue signaling.

4
Reply
Howie
Howie
3 months ago

Is that Downward Facing Droid? 🙂

5
Reply
David
David
3 months ago

So grateful that I never engaged in social media. Time suck, time waste.

1
Reply

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