New Autistamatic video... and a new style

[Autistamatic]

There's a new Autistamatic video on the interwebs
This one marks a bit of a departure, some diversification if you will. I will still be doing the regular "newsdesk" style videos, but I'm putting together a series of shorter videos which don't have me in front of the camera, and covering more concise topics.
I invested in some new sound equipment as well which has dramatically improved the audio quality of my narration so for the first time I've produced something done without any music or background at all.
This first "Autistamatic Digest" is explaining and dispelling the myth that Autistic people cannot feel love. I've a few more myths in the pipeline such as "Autistic people cannot lie" which has popped up in this forum a few times recently.
I really would appreciate feedback on this one since it's a new style for me and I'm ready to tweak it to get it just right. Thanks as always for your continued support

 

[Judge]

The information imparted is consistent with your ability to hit on the most important points. No surprise there. Good job as always. However, IMO it's missing the most critical part to validate it all.

-YOU.

Identifying a face to go along with these important words. That you yourself are on the spectrum, and that you are high functioning, with the ability to project an image that doesn't match stereotypes that so many non-autistic people may be apt to assume. They need to know that we exist, and are not any kind of myth. Your face makes this much more personal, and unique. Don't give up the face of autism!

One last thing. Your disclaimer. Display it long enough so one can seriously take the time to read it if they choose. Providing more time to give yourself a better sense of credibility. Otherwise it's like so many disclaimers, which IMO send a poor impression right off reflecting projecting only the fulfillment of a legal requirement rather than to thoughtfully inform your viewers.

 

[Pats]

Love it and I think it would help my daughter in law to watch it. Thanks, as always.

 

[Mia]

You were dead on Autistamic, and I have to say your 'voice' is soothing and also something of a voice of reason. I made my husband watch it, as it describes him quite well. He's coming around to the idea that his diagnosis is likely accurate. He gave me a hug after he watched it, said nothing and went back to his computer.He'll need more time to consider things.

I do find though, that there is little out there that describes females on the spectrum, and although there were some similarities we tend to differ in our expression of emotions. As well as our general understanding of other people, which tends to be learned early on. I hope that at some point you do something about females on the spectrum.

It's also occurred to me that you have a very soothing and reasonable voice when you narrate. Would enjoy hearing you do podcasts while reading some of those old science fiction novels. Much like Orson Wells did with 'War of the Worlds'. You could likely make them relevant as well as enjoyable.

 

[Monachopia]

Wonderful video as always, I'd like to echo Judge's statement that it's missing an important element of the human behind the narration. Firstly you're an awesome person, and secondly I find it quite helpful to watch you speak as I can focus in on the words better. But - I do understand that from a practicality point of view, it might be easier to edit and produce videos the way you did here without having to edit your recording together with overlays rather than audio plus the stock footage alone. Do what's best for you - it's the content that matters and you always produce highly insightful commentary - far more informative than many other videos on these subjects that I've seen.

You described the love aspect very well, it definitely resonated with me. I'm very bad at knowing how to show it and words alone don't seem to be enough (in both directions). Actions speak louder than words and romantic gestures often seem out of place, especially if they're one-off type things.

 

[Loren]

Phew. I interpreted the title of this post to mean that you are going to be departing to some capacity or other. I'm glad to know that's not the case.

I, particularly, like the calm, visual effects!

Thank you for the viewing!

 

[Fino]

Phew. I interpreted the title of this post to mean that you are going to be departing to some capacity or other. I'm glad to know that's not the case.

That's exactly what I was going to say!! The title made my heart gasp, whatever that means.

 

[Shamar]

This first "Autistamatic Digest" is explaining and dispelling the myth that Autistic people cannot feel love. I've a few more myths in the pipeline such as "Autistic people cannot lie" which has popped up in this forum a few times recently.
I really would appreciate feedback on this one since it's a new style for me and I'm ready to tweak it to get it just right. Thanks as always for your continued support

VERY interesting video, and is giving me a lot to think about. I generally am skeptical of Universal Truths that are applied to all people. I also realize that I am something of an anomaly, even among autistics.
Do I feel love? Can I feel love? I don't know. I certainly have the desire to feel love. I have experienced non-reciprocal crushes and desire for someone else. I have twice experienced what I think love feels like, but I believe it was "relief from loneliness" because it was so transient. I have never, in my entire life, been able to form a bond with another person, This includes my family, including my parents, sister, and son. There is just nothing there. This means, obviously, that I have never had a friend, as I understand the concept.
In short, I appear to be an example of the myth you debunk, although a sample of one is statistically useless. Perhaps someday.........

 

[Mia]

Often wonder how people detach themselves from the socially invented idea of love, or if they ever do? The greeting cards, the ring, the marriage, the childhood tales that teach us what to expect and think as individuals about love.

It's everywhere, from the couples kissing in movies, to the vacation adverts of people cavorting on beaches. It's immersed in music, movies, poetry, books, it's in every hopeful glance of people. That desire to find the someone who will make us not feel so alone.

It makes sense that a society would promote love as an incontrovertible aspiration. Otherwise society as we know it, would cease to exist. There would be no continuity, less population to do the jobs, send children to school, the cogs of industry would not function, houses would not be built, money would not be made. Society seems to run on the idea of love at it's base, as well as many other things.

 

[SusanLR]

I have never, in my entire life, been able to form a bond with another person, This includes my family, including my parents, sister, and son. There is just nothing there. This means, obviously, that I have never had a friend, as I understand the concept.
In short, I appear to be an example of the myth you debunk, although a sample of one is statistically useless.

Almost a sample of two.
I have had three people I felt a bond with. My parents and one male romantic friend.
So I have never known a true friend either.
I often think on these things when I see the world expressing and forming relationships that
must be founded on bonds and desires for things I never felt.
So many human feelings I never felt. I don't know how they feel.

@Mia I saw all the the things in life that you mention, but, it's like looking at something I don't understand. I don't think the few of us who are detached from the socially invented idea of love
conciously made the decision to do so. Many feelings just never awakened in us for some reason.
As far as society ceasing to exist...as we know it, yes.
But, I think it would continue, only in a different way.
The inner drives would be more like the animal kingdom.
Sex drive would perpetuate offspring. Mothering seems to be another natural instinct.
Survival instinct would promote evolutionary growth, hunting/gathering and safety in numbers would create groups.
It seems to be some genetic switch that comes on at certain life stages.
Those for whom it doesn't are few. Evolution/creation knew what it was doing to keep the world
going for what ever reason.

 

[Autistamatic]

Thanks for the feedback so far
First thing I should point out is that the digests are a side project. They are not going to replace the "to camera" format I've worked with up to now. They're intended to be quick to produce and be short summaries on controversial topics. As well as this one I'm currently working on the "can't lie" myth and another which is tied into a collaborative project I'm now involved in.

Women and autism is one I have in the pipeline. It's one I need to research more than normal because...well...I'm a bloke If any ladies wish to share their own thoughts or observations on their own experiences to help that research along or have a particular point in mind I should be making, either discuss it on the forum or PM me please. It's a big topic and will likely stretch to a short series in my regular format.

As to exceptions? Yes there are always exceptions. I always try to paint as broad a picture as possible without making generalisations. It's a fine line to tread. I use the word "many" far more than I'd like and use words like "most" very sparingly. We are a diverse bunch on the spectrum and the intention of the channel is to give a flavour of that diversity whilst challenging the stereotypes which often stand in the way of our acceptance in modern society.

It's no secret that there are many of us who never find love in any form, yet yearn for it deeply. Sometimes it is down to social barriers - not being able to cope with or being awkward in social situations makes it hard to meet someone we may fall in love with later. In other cases it is down to us setting unrealistically high standards just as we can do with friendship. Some of us find it difficult to express emotions, others find it hard to trust people, some prefer their own company to spending time with anyone else... There are so many reasons behind the significant proportion of us not finding love (apparently approx 40%), but it is rarely through lack of interest. Most of us want a special "someone" in our lives, especially when we are young.

The point of this video is to dispel the idea that we are incapable of the emotion. It has been my observation, undoubtedly coloured by my own experience, that when an autistic person does find love it is often very intense. We are prone to investing a great deal of our emotional energy into that relationship. Consequently we can find it very hard to let go even when that relationship has turned sour and is destroying us. The subject of relationships on the whole is a subject for a later video though.

As to @Judge and the disclaimer duration... I'll have to think about that. The disclaimer is already on screen longer than most and there are multiple arguments for keeping it short. I leave it up for 6 seconds including fades and the recommended duration is 3-4 seconds. It's the video equivalent of "small print" and it's always advised to keep it short but visible, so that viewers can pause if they choose to read it. Make it too long and the short attention spans of many people these days will have them clicking "next" before the content starts. I'll give it some thought though and do some more reading.

Oh and I've edited the thread title Sorry for any confusion

 

[Judge]

As to @Judge and the disclaimer duration... I'll have to think about that. The disclaimer is already on screen longer than most and there are multiple arguments for keeping it short. I leave it up for 6 seconds including fades and the recommended duration is 3-4 seconds. It's the video equivalent of "small print" and it's always advised to keep it short but visible, so that viewers can pause if they choose to read it. Make it too long and the short attention spans of many people these days will have them clicking "next" before the content starts. I'll give it some thought though and do some more reading.

Perhaps that's something worth getting a consensus over to make a decision either way. I admit that my perspective while I believe it to be more legally and ethically appropriate, may reflect a minority point of view based on having been a specialist in liability underwriting for many years.

But functionally speaking you do bring up the obvious. That all viewers have the option of pausing the screen to read the terms of your disclaimer. Perhaps that in itself warrants doing nothing. It's just that from my own perspective passing much of any legal disclaimer faster than the eyes can read it is a "no-no". But then the likelihood of your presentations facing any litigation for whatever reason is IMO quite remote.

So I won't take it too badly if you choose to ignore my suggestions.

 

[Autistamatic]

If truth be told I agree with you. When I see disclaimers it annoys me when they are gone before I can read them, and I read quickly! It's just the attention span problem that keeps them short on the whole, either very few words (which I'm considering) or just short time on screen.

 

[Judge]

If truth be told I agree with you. When I see disclaimers it annoys me when they are gone before I can read them, and I read quickly! It's just the attention span problem that keeps them short on the whole, either very few words (which I'm considering) or just short time on screen.

The more I think about it, I believe the ability to pause a media player online effectively gets you off the hook. That my line of thinking is really based only on constant viewing of television commercials as opposed to online presentations.

 

[Shamar]

Often wonder how people detach themselves from the socially invented idea of love, or if they ever do? The greeting cards, the ring, the marriage, the childhood tales that teach us what to expect and think as individuals about love.

I think it is, for me, not a matter of having detached but more a matter of never having attached. The societal expectations are all around me. Sort of like being broke in a group of rich people for whom spending (even wasting) money is nothing.

It's everywhere, from the couples kissing in movies, to the vacation adverts of people cavorting on beaches. It's immersed in music, movies, poetry, books, it's in every hopeful glance of people. That desire to find the someone who will make us not feel so alone.

Yes, seeing it all around, and not being able to participate, is a crushing burden. In elementary school, why did everyone else have friends and I didn't? Why did everyone else seem to know what was popular and what was not while I had no clue? Why was everyone a member of some sort of group while I was alone?
Later, in high school, everyone had a boyfriend/girlfriend while I did not. The closest I came was when I was being set up for a practical joke to be humiliated. In college and since, I see guys able to walk up to a woman and start talking. I can't. To see this all around and not be able to participate, despite the intense desire, is still frustrating, depressing, crushing.

It makes sense that a society would promote love as an incontrovertible aspiration. Otherwise society as we know it, would cease to exist. There would be no continuity, less population to do the jobs, send children to school, the cogs of industry would not function, houses would not be built, money would not be made. Society seems to run on the idea of love.

Agree. As an outside observer, I see the necessity. Without bonding at various levels, the result would be total chaos and might makes right. Anarchy would be an improvement. This realization does not make it any less painful to be left out.

 

[Fino]

You would make an excellent professor!

Is it an option to split the disclaimer into to segments? Starting at "the opinions..." That was how far I got, and a change of screen may reset the attention span.

Although, coming from one of the short attention span lads (me), I skip ahead rather than skip the entire video. But obviously I don't know how common that is for others.

 

[Monachopia]

The disclaimer was on for the perfect amount of time - long enough to choose whether one wants to pause it or not. If disclaimers are on too long on any video I get very annoyed and start skipping things and then miss important things by accident.

 

[Joshua the Writer]

Nice job! You did great!

 

[All-Rounder]

Yay! It's so good and useful. I think the main issue I had consistently especially at first when dating my ex was linked to always needing to be reminded that he is different and he does not always say things or ask for affection even if he needs it bc its very hard for him to.

Sometimes I was very confused and sometimes upset because I felt disliked and not special to him cause of what hed say to me like he doesn't look up to me and such blunt things.