Bluesky Doesn't Tolerate Jokes
Bluesky has become a refuge for those fleeing from X and Threads. However, although there is less hate, the sense of humor has also diminished.
Amy Brown was neither screaming, crying, nor vomiting. However, on Bluesky, she mentioned that she was experiencing all three at the same time. Her husband, during a business trip to Ohio in February, visited a Walgreens and told her that prices were lower than in California, where they live. This price difference led her to post that she was screaming, crying, and vomiting. Some Bluesky users responded by pointing out that she was exaggerating and that no one could possibly care that much. And they were right; it wasn't true. Brown was referring to a common internet expression so widespread that it has even become the title of a compilation on Spotify.
What Brown experienced is something many former Twitter/X users encounter as they adapt to the newer and more sincere social network Bluesky: a notable problem in detecting humor. There are users who fail to understand jokes or intentionally misinterpret them to highlight a different point. Many new Bluesky users come from X, where conversations are much more intense, which presents a different and more serious problem. Still, the apparent lack of understanding and the serious tone of many on Bluesky is frustrating for those used to different types of interactions.
Brown, who was a social media manager for Wendy's, joined Bluesky in 2023. Her account on X was suspended after she impersonated Elon Musk for about two hours on November 4, 2022. What she calls the "incident" occurred shortly after X announced paid verification. Brown changed her profile picture to that of a bald entrepreneur and adjusted her name to "Elon Musk (real)," convincingly emulating his style by posting messages like “my wife left me lol” and “my penis is NOT weird.” While she didn't know if she would be penalized for her antics on X, she didn't worry about it, as she questioned whether she really wanted to stay on a platform where Musk was the main character.
Although humor can still be found on Bluesky, there are a notable number of people who fail to catch jokes. This is due to several factors. First, the difference between former X users and Facebook users. Those who spent time on the "Everything App" are well-acquainted with Twitter's language, filled with irony and inside references. Upon migrating from X, they brought that type of humor with them. In contrast, those coming from Facebook and Instagram are used to a different style of interaction, where conversations were initially more family-oriented.
Bluesky has also attracted many new users thanks to media coverage from outlets like MSNBC. Viewers of these programs may not be as familiar with the tone of conversations on this social network. This problem of humor detection is further exacerbated by the technology that Bluesky uses, as content is presented algorithmically, potentially leading a user to encounter random posts that they might not understand correctly.
Joe Gondelman, a comedian and former television show producer, mentions that since Trump’s presidential candidacy, the difficulty in catching jokes online has increased. He adds that Bluesky has reached a point where there are enough active users to be both fun and useful, but that influx can also be annoying.
Mattie Lubchansky, an award-winning illustrator and author, describes the failure to understand humor as a phenomenon called “riff collapse.” She has noticed that many people respond with serious opinions even to clearly humorous posts. This lack of understanding seems to worsen with the arrival of new users who are not familiar with internet idioms.
The phenomenon of frustration surrounding new social platforms is not new. Throughout internet history, whenever new users have joined, veterans have felt that discontent. In the 1990s, for example, students arriving at college and accessing the internet began exploring forums without yet knowing the social norms.
Currently, Brown believes that the option to block on Bluesky is a favor for the receiver. When someone doesn’t understand her post, she blocks them to avoid any more awkward interactions. This contrasts with the norm on X, where sarcastic attacks are common. The CEO of a popular satire site feels that he doesn’t mind when people respond to his jokes seriously, as that can attract a wider audience.
As different groups of users meet on Bluesky, it’s important to remember that not everyone comes with the same internet background. The experience can be made more enjoyable if this diversity is recognized while everyone adapts to their new digital environment.
