I got suspended from Twitter (or should I say X)

Oops.

Years ago I used Twitter all the time. It was an essential tool if you were a part of the parent blogger scene - as well as taking part in conversations I used it to share blog posts and connect with brands. Back then I was very concerned with my social media stats, and so naturally I worked hard to increase my follower count.

Things have changed, and I've not posted over there in years. I set my account to private a while back, but I still had nearly 3000 followers. Many of these had followed me to enter a giveaway, and the majority were no longer active users. Realising that I was unlikely to return, I decided to have a bit of a clear out. 

Deleting all my posts (over 22,500?!) wasn't an option unless I wanted to pay for it. So I decided to start by removing all of my followers. It's a manual process, so I spent ten minutes a day clicking remove, managing to get rid of about 200 each session. I was doing so well, until I got an e-mail telling me that my account had been suspended for 'inauthentic behaviours!'

My account is now in read-only mode. I can't post, re-post, like or comment. I can see posts and use the search function, but I can't interact with anything. However as an unexpected bonus, all my followers and the people that I'm following have been removed automatically, so that has saved me a job.

I felt bad at first, and submitted an appeal, even though online consensus is of the opinion that this is unlikely to work. But I've since realised that the suspension has done exactly what I was trying to achieve - no-one can view my old posts and all of my followers have been removed, but my username remains registered to me and I can still search for and find information. 

I think I can cope!

How I find interesting long-form content

Lately I've found myself drawn to long-form content. Detailed podcasts to listen to while I'm driving, in depth documentaries that I can settle down in front of, and of course books that I can lose myself in for long periods at a time. 

But with all the content that is out there it's difficult the media that I really want to engage with. So here are some ways that I've discovered interesting online and offline content to entertain and educate me.

Podcasts

I find searching for interesting podcasts very difficult. Search recommendations on the web are usually out of date, and the Spotify search function isn't very good if you are just browsing. 

Some ways to find new podcasts:

BBC Sounds has podcasts on a wide range of subjects, both as a one-off or a longer series.

Reddit is a really good place to look for podcasts and other media on a specific topic. Just use Reddit and Podcast as search terms, along with what you are after. Recommendations are usually accompanied by a description or review so you can see if it sounds interesting to you.

Social media is a great place to keep an eye on, I personally always prefer to listen to something that has been recommended. Sometimes a podcast that I'm listening to will introduce a guest with their own podcast, or a writer that I follow will offer a curated list. I have a Notes file on my phone where I jot down anything that sounds interesting to look up later.

Videos

I've found YouTube to be a really valuable source for interesting long-form content, as long as you can avoid being distracted by the shorts and clickbait titles. I look for older documentaries that have been shared, as these are often slower and more detailed in content. It helps to use search terms like 'full documentary' or 'full show' and I find that once I start watching a certain type of content then the algorithm will pull up related videos which are just what I'm after.

I also pop into the streaming services that we have and use the search function rather than just browsing the recommended content. iPlayer is really good, and of course free to licence holders in the UK. The BBC documentaries are always high quality and on a wide range of subjects. We have Netflix too, and I have a watchlist of interesting content lined up for when I'm in the mood.

Books

I rarely find myself browsing for books, I just somehow seem to acquire piles of them! But if I am desperate to find some new reading material here's where I look:

The library - this is my first port of call. Even in our tiny village library I can always find a book or two that I've heard of and want to read, and a pile of other books that have caught my eye.

Charity shops - especially those slightly out of the town centre with cheaper prices. I've found one in town that sells three books for £1 - you can't go wrong!

My Notes document called 'Books to buy' - these is where I add books that I've heard of, either recommendations from friends or family or that I've spotted on social media. I save up a batch to buy secondhand on World of Books.

In-depth articles

Many of the online news sources and newspapers have long form content, but it can be difficult to find among the shorter, newsier articles and is often behind a paywall. You can try:

BBC InDepth

The Guardian - The Long Read

Telegraph Long Reads (sometimes an account is needed to read)

Substack (some content is subscriber only)

Photo credit Roman Kraft via Unsplash

How do you find interesting content?