So, I’m back. I haven’t really figured out in what capacity yet, but I’m here.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out. I’m sorry for not responding to your messages quickly. There’s been a lot going on.

Anyways, here’s that thread I was mentioning a couple of days ago.

Two months ago, I had made a couple remarks warning people that online time would increase significantly. I suggested people be mindful of their posts and how they could be repurposed

I think about that a lot lately.

Of course, the painful irony of my warning to everyone was that my very own tweets in that thread were taken and used against me. Repeatedly.

Once it happened, I noticed that this tactic was incredibly common and not exclusive to conspiracy theorists.

If you’ve never had your own words weaponized against you, you won’t know the headache of explaining/reexplaining your original intentions. It’s a powerful bullying tactic *if* you play the game.

Knowing what I know now, I suggest block or mute immediately if it happens to you.

But, gosh, I’m hesitant to even suggest that you block people anymore.

Blocks aren’t seen as asserting boundaries. They are now sought after by trolls and enthusiastically discussed as if they were achievements.

While I was away, I also realized powerful cliques exist w/in MedTwitter. I had no idea. What an eye opener.

I learned that people interacted based on specialty, rank, interests, & most importantly—shared opinions on Twitter drama.

Lots of in-group/out-group dynamics are play.

If you stand up for someone, you risk alienating a whole group of people. At least that’s been my experience.

In many cases, mutual respect and understanding has all but disappeared in recent discourse.

Critique the content, not the individual...or not

https://twitter.com/sarah_mojarad/status/1248390404996648961?s=21 https://twitter.com/Sarah_Mojarad/status/1248390404996648961

I hope people remember that despite any differences or riffs, you’re all more or less playing for the same team.

Don’t destroy another human being over an isolated incident, a few tweets or a difference of opinion.

It’s happening on a daily basis now.

I say that w/ my own behavior in mind as well. One of the reasons why I left was that I realized my own activity needed to be reevaluated.

I’m thinking of the @ZDoggMD pile-on specifically.

People demanded a response. So he obliged.

Not the answer they wanted. Burn the witch.

The voice of reason through that whole incident was @DrEricStrong who pressed the point that maybe there is more to this story than is readily available.

I was too quick to judge, so I apologized publicly & privately to him.

Ok to disagree on Twitter. Not ok to destroy someone.

Right around the time I took a break from Twitter, I was reading up on online harassment logic and justification.

You should read this article. It made me pause and look at online harassment through a different lens.

https://twitter.com/sarah_mojarad/status/1268325037204844544?s=21 https://twitter.com/Sarah_Mojarad/status/1268325037204844544

I’m thankful for all the support and encouragement I received from everyone while I was away. I’m still working my way through messages and reaching out to express gratitude.

I’d like to share some thoughts on two people in particular who have been incredibly supportive while I was away.

These are the people I mentioned in my article - “I’m in a three way chat with two people who have recently gone through online harassment...”

One person left Twitter because it became too toxic to stay here. She brought tremendous value to the platform.

She also created the app COVID for HCP. It’s been used by thousands of people around the world.

Her whole existence was defined by a few screenshots, so she left.

The other person is here, but I wonder if he’ll stay. He’s seen as controversial. The recent insults are meant to be personal. They are meant to hurt.

Does it matter that he defends others? That his phone call saved my friend’s life last weekend?

Prolly not. Burn the witch.

Watch what happens when I tell you that the two people I’m referring to are Drs. Kari Jerge and Tom Folan.

Hopefully I’m wrong, but I predict folks will:

1. Justifying the harassment
2. Hurl ad hominem attacks against me

That’s ok. That’s the way things are on SoMe these days.

Thanks for reading. Thank you for all the support from my friends at all stages of their education, training and careers.

You know my story.

Please be a little kinder than you need to be.

Remember: Critique the content, not the individual.