Well Connected
For the comedian and creator of Please Like Me, Instagram is to fun what kryptonite is to Superman.
Comedian Josh Thomas on ghosting, Twitter style
Tech head or Luddite?
“I don’t know how to code but if I didn’t have my iPhone with me, I’d feel anxious.”
On the radar
Season four of Please Like Me airs on ABC TV on November 9 at 9.30pm.
What was your latest technology purchase? I just bought a PlayStation 4. Which social media platforms do you use? I use Twitter, Instagram and Facebook but Twitter stopped being fun. Now it’s just people talking about their political opinions. You have a lot of Twitter followers... Yeah but their profiles were all built in the early ’90s. I have 350,000 [followers] but 250,000 of them haven’t logged in for a year. They log in one day, create an account, follow a few people, use it for a few days and never look at it again. Has anyone followed you on Twitter who you’ve been really excited about? Justin Bieber – that was good – and [American actor] Lena Dunham. Lena Dunham tweeted about her love for you and Please Like Me. Has there been any further correspondence? Yeah, I met her and sometimes we email. How does Instagram figure in your life? My boyfriend always wants to stop and take photos for Instagram – and it’s usually when I’m having fun – but I just want to do the activity. My Instagram is really good because he takes great photos but in every one I’m a bit pissed off. I don’t want to stop in the middle of a fun activity to move my face into an attractive position: it’s fun kryptonite. What’s your advice for attractive selfies? I’ve never taken a selfie. Get a boyfriend or girlfriend who’s really passionate about it. Do you ever search for yourself online? No. If there’s a good review, it gets sent to me. I don’t need to go looking for honest, critical feedback. When I was 20, I would read things and get upset. It’s much better to be oblivious if people don’t like you. What websites do you visit the most? Twitter, Facebook and ABC iview. Is there a technology that you wish existed? I’d like to be able to teleport! Is there a gadget you want but don’t have? No, because you just can’t beat the MacBook and iPhone combination. Maybe some nice wireless speakers throughout the house but, then, they probably wouldn’t work. And anything that’s wi-fi connected just doesn’t quite work properly. What technology do you wish had never been invented? I have days when I think the world would be nicer if I didn’t have my phone all the time. My friends and I text all day. Sometimes, when I’m away from my phone for an hour, there’ll be 60 text messages from them chatting to one another. It’s nice – I know what they’re up to and we share funny things. But then I’ll see them at night and there’s no news. What apps do you use? Deliveroo is an important part of my life lately and so is the podcast app for This American Life. I also have every single dating app. There are so many of them: Tinder, Grindr, Hornet, Bumble... I like to be across what’s happening. I don’t use them all; I just have them. What technology do you take on planes? My phone and laptop but I don’t want wi-fi on the plane. I like the peace and to just sit there with my tea. The only time I read books is when I’m on planes. Do you feel we’re too reliant on technology? I don’t, really. I know people want to think that but it’s very useful. People were saying that about paper when it came out. What does technology mean to you? I just use it to chat to people or order food.