Many punks spend too much time online. But to the extent that we do connect online, we should do it on the Fediverse instead of on corporate platforms.
The Internet lets us build a hardcore punk underground that is international. It facilitates connection through pandemics, harsh seasons, mental health struggles and isolation.
Even if you are a true no-phone punk, this discussion matters to you: you might not use Instagram, but your band or shows or zines are still getting shared there by your fellow punks. We are all participating in an underground that relies in large part on social media, for better or worse. It's important to meet people where they are. So, we must intevene in how punks engage online, just as we don’t want to see all punk shows happen at Clear Channel or Live Nation venues.
But the hardcore punk underground shouldn't live exclusively on the Internet. When was the last time you got a paper handbill? Make flyers, go to shows, print and distribute zines, help run a DIY venue, start a distro. The Counterforce supports all these offline strategies (have you read the manifesto?). Don't let your enthusiasm and interest in these (cool and radical) online alternatives distract you from building in-person relationships and connections. Hardcore punk will always happen first at shows, in zines, on tapes, on records.
