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If you've been looking for ways to make an impact on the world, here's a thread all about how you can do so in a practical way by simply altering the sort of media that you consume.
I also give some tips on how to find this media. Your new favorite is out there. [1/17]
I also give some tips on how to find this media. Your new favorite is out there. [1/17]
Gaming may be a good place to start. The AAA gaming industry is a cesspit where its workers are maltreated, threatened, and coerced. If they leave, they often won't receive credit for their work and jeopardize their job opportunities.
Fortunately, there are alternatives. [2/17]
Fortunately, there are alternatives. [2/17]
The indie game market is thriving right now with a diverse array of digital distribution platforms. @itchio gives their developers a particularly good deal and even has a game manager similar to Steam.
Finding good indie games has been made easier thanks to these sources: [3/17]
Finding good indie games has been made easier thanks to these sources: [3/17]
Collectives such as @_wholesomegames will share games within certain categories, and Steam curators such as http://indiegames.com help you find games at a glance. Just scrolling through the new releases section of digital distribution platforms can be excellent. [4/17]
As an aside, @PdxInteractive is alright. Talking with some of the people there, it sounds like a good place to work, and this is supported by the fact that they just signed a deal with one of the first game dev unions ever. AAA companies usually just crush them. [5/17]
Music is a place where I'm less educated, but fortunately, there are methods to find bands that you enjoy in the flood of indie music.
One effective way is to use Spotify's suggestion algorithm. The automatically-generated "Discover Weekly" playlist is eerily good. [6/17]
One effective way is to use Spotify's suggestion algorithm. The automatically-generated "Discover Weekly" playlist is eerily good. [6/17]
After finding new bands that you like through Spotify, you can go onto Bandcamp (where creators are treated better) and listen there or purchase the album. There are so many smaller artists that deserve more attention, like @CheAimee: [7/17]
Journalism is a broken industry; most if not all major news outlets pander to their biased viewerbases, feeding them an exclusive diet of stories that support their worldview, and many don't even hide it anymore.
Good news: independent journalism is out there. [8/17]
Good news: independent journalism is out there. [8/17]
Podcasts such as @Jake_Hanrahan's Popular Front help to tell the complicated stories that major news outlets refuse to tell, and following independent journalists on social media is a fantastic way to stay informed. They often retweet and share each other's work, too. [9/17]
An important note: where major news companies might try to hide their bias, independent journalists will usually be up-front with them. Remember that you don't have to agree with someone to find value in their reporting, and knowing someone's bias helps you navigate info. [10/17]
Anything that can be said about Hollywood's decadence and atrociousness has already been said elsewhere. Unfortunately, there are no analogues for the absurd amount of money that's pumped into their bloated projects, but there's plenty of excellent media outside of it. [11/17]
Excellent indie animation is everywhere. Take your time falling down a YouTube rabbit hole of them. Just pick a video and go. Here's one to get you started by @DeadlyComics: [12/17]
Or maybe you want something more cute and friendly, like this one by @CoraMck: [13/17]
Or maybe you want some darker CG. Have some science fiction by Dima Fedotov: [14/17]
Documentaries often disgust me with the way that they bend the truth and omit information to tell a dishonest narrative (Tiger King as an example), but excellent work is being done independently. @AtrocityGuide is one of my favorites: [15/17]
The aforementioned @Jake_Hanrahan also makes documentaries tied into Popular Front, such as this one on the Hong Kong protests: [16/17]
If you have the resources, I would recommend considering supporting independent creators through crowdfunding where you can. @Patreon isn't perfect, but $2 to an independent creator means MUCH more than $10, $60, $100, or even $1000 to an exec. It makes a difference. [17/17]
A note: this thread isn't holistic. @PdxInteractive isn't perfect. Not all workers in the AAA game industry are treated badly. Not all indie creators are good. YouTube has awful problems, Bandcamp isn't the only indie music site, etc. This is just a starting point. [18/17]
