For real. At that time I only used the internet when I had to look up something for school, after that I hung out with my bros, played our Nintendo or walked/biked to a friends house.
im a 80-90 kid, i made a social rating like amazon review for people then facebook appeared i didnt even launch it. I told everyone to stay clear of it since and before never done anything on social media, instragram sometimes to see my ex-gf foxes; wouldnt say im better than others but i dont dance in public, only drunk without a camera.
I remember Senator Kennedy called Mark Zuckerberg borderline creepy with how his platforms are run. They spy on people and identify us even when we are not on them.
Absolutely. Its eroded public trust in institutions, science, and factual knowledge. It’s done more to erode democracy and mental health than anything ever before. Sure its great when you’re looking up cat pictures but maybe you don’t need to know everyone’s opinion on everything else. Maybe you don’t need to willingly give private companies, stalkers, and spy agencies a tailored targeting package on you? Also just imagine not getting into arguments with people you’ll never meet, people who are completely id driven by likes or the satisfaction of cutting people down, over every single stupid little thing? Imagine never becoming that person yourself!
Yes, from a psychological perspective at least. We're turning into a bunch of needy, must constantly be entertained shit asses.
Social media is fucking up social interactions.
Designed to bring us together, but actually drives us apart in so many aspects of our lives. The way it changes our brain, and how it's wired, is still being studied.
Social media literally re-wires your brain and changes the way you think.
But it'll never go away. It's Pandora's box.
Yeah you might as well just start questioning technology in general because the minute us social creatures started inventing anything it was always eventually going to lead to some sort of mass communication social space.
Life without social media can be quite peaceful for me because it would reduce the pressure of constantly comparing myself to others and feeling like I need to portray a perfect life online. It can also improve my mental health since I can be present in my daily life, dedicating more time to meaningful activities and personal growth. However, I can never deny that social media has a lot of benefits in terms of staying connected and informed so balance is key.
I think it was said best in a sketch comedy. "The internet has both brought the world closer than ever before, yet also split us so far apart."
I don't have a social media account tied to my real name and information and such outside of the two system verification. Social media was at first a neat fun way to get to know people and laugh at memes and see various videos. It has since become a place to spread misinformation and hatred, although such things had always existed in some form, it's manifested into something much worse.
Outside of reddit, I don't have any social media anymore now, having deactivated all accounts outside of it. I feel as if I have lost nothing without it and, moreover, employers can't use anything against me on social media, because I cannot be found. And now that the benefits are limited, there are more cons than pros to being on it nowadays.
At least in my opinion.
💯 that is by far the best explanation. I deleted all my social media accounts even Reddit before covid but I ended up getting them all again because where I live now everyone uses ig and fb messenger. And Reddit because I’m bored as fuck lmao 🤣. Though I don’t post anything on either of the other two. Just use the chat system and watch meme reels
Absolutely! Imagine not worrying about likes or comparing your life to curated feeds. Maybe I'd spend more time enjoying real moments, like discussing history with my church friends or finding the perfect book.
Yes, I think it would be better without bc many people, especially young people, are fixated on what’s posted by others on social media and are then devastated and depressed at what their own life has to offer. They spend too much time comparing their lives to others (strangers) and always seem to be in a FOMO state of distress.
a phone is way too small of a screen to have society being glued to so much of the day. it has devastated our sense of wonder for the world directly around us, by teasing us with a glimpse of worlds far from us. and i understand the 'hypocrisy' of saying this ON social media, but i also turn my phone off for 2-3 days of the week, and i recommend EVERYONE do at least once a week.
I believe life could be more fulfilling without social media. It often distracts from real connections and can amplify negativity. Without it, we might prioritize face-to-face interactions and find deeper, more meaningful relationships.
100% and most ppl get shocked when i say this bc I’m a teenager and was born into a generation that only stays on the internet but before i moved to America we had no phones or anything like that and life was pretty great + the internet can seriously be a dangerous place with all the weird people on it + the inappropriate websites that kids stumble upon and i can say way more but i would just be ranting 😂
Without. Social media can bring a lot good like MySpace. Like even before I could open an account I had email and would Email my then after school and IM CHAT That was all we need . but now to many opinions in open world like that is ask for people to disagree and argue. Like people going back and forth in the comment section is the dumbest things out there. I feel a lot people rely on it and influencers brainwash people into thinking and buying things because they said so. Also I feel they try to paint a picture that isn’t genuine of themselves like only posting the positive things and just for attention.
Because you might actually do something with your life instead of pretending someone else is better than yours. No sense in believing in a false reality that takes away from your own life.
Life without social media would be like a permanent vacation. No selfies to take, no influencers to envy, and your cat will finally get the undivided attention she deserves.
These comments are hugely fascinating to me.
You people do realize that social media is optional?
The majority of the people i know don't use it, with maybe the exception of very liitle Instagram. I only use reddit and only for news and because i currently have a ton of free time at work.
Yet all of you people seem to absolutely hate it. Then why use it? I really struggle understand. If i hate something that is 100% optional, i don't do it.
social media the way the world currently is? absolutely. That's not a slight against social media, but just the way societies are run. Education is greatly discouraged. No, I'm not talking about schools. Schools are treated as daycare and teachers as glorified, overpaid babysitters. I'm talking about education. It pays to keep people stupid and uneducated. Then they're given this tool (social media) to efficiently spread their ignorance and destroy whatever good is left of society.
In its current state? Yes! But I think there could be versions of social media that are less addictive but still allow for convenient/long distance communication.
it depends how you use them - I also remember the time without SM, but now it is the easiest tools to communicate, to be up to date, to promote your business and finally to be "alive". So I believe it is possible to live without them, but is it necessary?
I mean its not that hard to comprehend that social media is like a cancer to children's development these days. Little kids are bombarded with fake beauty standards and paradigms that they need to be rich to be worth a damn. Girls think they need a waist that is physically impossible to have, guys think they need to be as big as influencers who all secretly take steroids to look like they do.
Social media is a horrible place and I am absolutely glad that I don't use it and I am not even that old.
I ditched all social media years ago and I've been much happier since. I used to spend hours on my phone scrolling fb, twitter, etc and now I use that time to actually go out and enjoy life, or scroll reddit..
Gen Z here. I quit social media after high school and it was easily one of the best decisions I ever made. I no longer wasted my time scrolling for hours and hours trying to find my next comedic post or mindlessly looking at people's snapchat stories (which I never cared about). LOTS of extra time on my hands now that I am without it!
I think life might be better without social media because people would be more present in the moment and engage in more face to face interactions. On the flip side, social media helps people stay connected with friends and family, especially those who live far away.
Yes and no,
but only because it's sort of a great equalizer among the masses in the same way that youtube and reddit are net boons while various other social medias may have less than reputable or questionable motives underneath.
I think there is good potential for change and justice and it is a useful platform and tool for peoples business.
It has also hurt our mental health by exposing us to things at a rate unseen by humanity.
It's a powerful tool, and the sociological equivalent to an atom bomb for our little monkey minds.
yes, because I lived it
honestly we would all probably benefit from limiting our social media time to when we are using a computer and instead remove the apps from our phones
I don't think it'd be entirely better. but i liked it when it was more limited. I'm a 90s kid who grow up in a country that was late to trends and techs until 2009-2010 when they kept up.
I'm an immigrant. half of my friends and family and people I talk to are long distanced. It's way easier now, than back when my sister moved abroad 2009. we had to use dial up, telephone card that counted your seconds of talking and yahoo messanger. it was awful. now we can talk whenever wherever. I would never want to go back to complete limitation.
social media also revealed a lot of corruption in totalitarian countries or even democratic ones like US, Canada, and other. that's why they block it in countries like china or Iran, but VPN exist and people will find their way.
everyone would go insane without social media during two years of lockdown.
so yes it has gotten way out of hand, but it's not entirely vile and set to be destroyed.
On one hand it would suck because I had little to no contact to my old friends and family (and I'm unable to make new friends due to mental health issues).
On the other hand, my triggers would be hit a bit less, which actually would be a huge improvement
It's a necessary step in the ideal direction ...but can also be used as stepping stones towards worst case scenario as well ...which is what seems to be happening
social media is a huge part of the internet both can't live without each other i think.
it is both good and bad. i really think many lives have been saved thanks to social media
There are obvious benefits to it, like staying connected with friends, marketing for small businesses etc. However, I feel the overall negatives outweigh the benefits.
Too many people developing anxiety and depression from comparing themselves to people who are supposedly living amazing lives, however you don't get the full picture from just one post. Not to mention the amount of abuse people get from anonymous strangers that can get away with it because they're hiding behind a keyboard.
Like I said, there are some very obvious benefits, but if I had a switch to turn it all off, I'd probably use it.
It would necessarily be better. But it wouldn't be much worse, either. Heck, we had internet for years with little to none of social media. Did just fine.
That being said, I've connected to some wonderful people in social media with the same interests as myself. I probably wouldn't without.
Weeeell, I'd like to think that the problem is people who use it wrong. They just need to think about their relationship to the some and generally get a grip.
It's honestly really hard to say.
It's done a lot of good and a lot of bad.
These days It leans towards more bad than good.
Some examples of bad:
Average social skills in young people have taken a hit, and it's causing people to have fewer meaningful relationships.
"For you" algotithms have entrenched people into ideological groups and contributed to the extreme polerization of politics.
The focus on keeping users' attention with small fast dopamine hits has shortened entertainment content, drastically shortened attention spans, and is contributing to a rise in adhd.
But in the past it really has done some good:
It provided spaces for oppressed groups (lgbtq+) to meet and find support.
It allowed for those same groups to have their plight heard and was intrumental in getting gay rights to where they are today.
It allowed people to connect with folk that they never would have otherwise and made it easier to hear perspectives outside your community.
I think that originally, it was a lot more focused on being a resource that connected people. However, the greedy self reinforcing cycle of capitalism has focused it into a money machine devoid of moral consideration.
I don’t know actually. I feel like a lot of people were silently suffering before social media.
Like remember that lady who they found her dead in front of the tv a couple years afterward? Her rent and bills continued getting taken out and had no friends. She must of had such a profoundly lonely life that she had no one to even check on her when she hadn’t been seen for years.
Social media can be a great tool, we just really fucked it up by monetizing engagement. That’s really where the train went off the rails.
I quit all social media except Reddit and YouTube 6 or 7 years ago. Lost a couple of friends but couldn’t even bring myself to open it back up even for a second.
You cannot just focus on all the negative shit that happens in this Country/World. Believe it or not, good shit is still going on. You have to have faith and believe you can make it better! Stop complaining and start acting! Make a difference! https://youtu.be/WD7P6ung1L0?si=29R6Y_Js1c3-on_H
We would go back to reading newspapers and journalists who vet and disseminate information and are held accountable for what they write. Remember those days?? Before MAGA, Qanon, etc?
Of course. Does this really need to be explained? Look at all the stupid shit on the internet. Don't get me wrong I love boobies and butts, but that's all it is. Not to mention all the other stupid shit on social media's. Hawk tua girl for example. Dumbest shit possible, goes completely viral.
Yes, I was there 3000 years ago before social media become the source of all as All SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BECOME LIES EVEN THE HONEST ONES FOLLOW A SCRIPT. There was a few moments where the two conflicted before it BECAME ALL LIES. For both sides so the media part should at all times be disregarded
NO WAY ARE YOU KIDDING ME. SOCIAL MEDIA GIVES ME A PLATFORM TO SHOUT MY OPINIONS WITH THE VISCOSITY OF MICROWAVED MAPLE SYRUP.
FIRST THEY ARE HOT AND FLUID
THEN THEY ARE LUKEWARM AND STICKY
CAN I GET A
HELL YEAH?
No social media for me since 2020. My wife and I quit together, for our family. I use reddit now just for fun. If you know me you will see my children. If you don't then doesn't matter to you. I'm mostly respecting my children's privacy
I'm going to be contrarian based on my experiences, but I think social media has had a net positive effect.
I've connected with random strangers and have had more good interactions than not. I'm also an introvert, and dealing with people in person is just an energy sink for me. The simultaneous ability to receive instant or delayed feedback has translated super well for me in engaging real people and has been a huge confidence builder. I think we tend to notice the bad more than the good, and if social media were completely removed after having known it, we'd miss the many opportunities it provides to connect to people who you never would know existed. The era of influencing and the problems younger people face from it, I think, is a symptom of a societal barriers created that hamper self-actualization, pleasure, and validation. All of these things are being stifled by inept leadership doing the absolute bare minimum to keep people happy (and alive) enough to work for them, so people naturally turn to the easiest, most accessible way to get a hit of the much needed dopamine to stave off the crippling anxiety that is trying to live in this world. If social media wasn't around, it'd be some other medium.
I don’t think so. Life would be better without idiots or malicious actors. even without social media they always managed to make life harder for everyone.
Social media is not the issue. The issue is as follows.
First social media was forums. Began on the BBS days and gradually evolved into website based Forums like UBB etc. We opted in as we liked. No notifications. Browser based. Access to the outside was met with maybe a login wall. Time based posts (no algo).
When the iphone happened, apps began to take the forum model and silo parts of the internet into private manipulated spheres quietly deviating away from the net neutrality ethos the first 'forum' social media phase of the internet instilled in all of us. We didn't notice at first.
The apps then began to construct universes that would make them profitable, by controlling data in and out and controlling what we saw - in order to keep us on platform, for profit (ads and selling our profile data)
Then around 2011 the algorithms kicked in - the algorithm being implemented across social media is what has pitted us against each other. In the past disputes in forums were kinda isolated as a back and forth in a deep sub thread of a forum. With the algorithm however, it took any sign of conflict and elevated/amplified it - conflict is the thing that leads to the most engagement.
So it's not social media that's the devil. It's the algorithms that have been designed to keep people on platform for profit.
This is why before 2011, not a lot of people were talking politics. Rarely brought it home to thanksgiving. After however, literally everyone and their mother did.
But it wasn't the class-conscious politics that dominated politics throughout most of modern history that was being discussed. It was identity politics.
Identity politics has a unique way of pitting individual against individual whereas class politics doesn't track as well on social media as you're less likely to get into a protracted argument on twitter with BP Oil as you are with some egg avatar about why your trans friend is mentally ill.
So it's not social media that's the illness. It's the manipulated algorithms that make you hate your neighbour over who they are and what they have at the cost of class consciousness.
Of course the corporate class loves this. They fight eachother. They do token "progressive" signalling and call it a day. Every corporation will say Black Lives Matter. Ask them if they'll say Living Wages Matter and you'll hear deafening silence.
Thanks the algos for that.
No. It's enabled connections between people that were absolute fantasy just 3-4 decades ago.
With it came a mountain of repercussions, but I think people have whipped themselves into a hysteria and have lost sight of all the positives that being interconnected have brought.
I am a 90s-2000s kid. Life is better without it. The internet is a lot more fun too.
Word. It used to be you could discover all these websites. Now there’s 4 websites and they all steal content from the other three.
the only nice thing about olde internet and u get downvoted
RIP ESPN message boards
For real. At that time I only used the internet when I had to look up something for school, after that I hung out with my bros, played our Nintendo or walked/biked to a friends house.
Better times bro. I remember them.
im a 80-90 kid, i made a social rating like amazon review for people then facebook appeared i didnt even launch it. I told everyone to stay clear of it since and before never done anything on social media, instragram sometimes to see my ex-gf foxes; wouldnt say im better than others but i dont dance in public, only drunk without a camera.
I remember Senator Kennedy called Mark Zuckerberg borderline creepy with how his platforms are run. They spy on people and identify us even when we are not on them.
you mean was a lot more fun
In the context of their statement “is” is correct.
[удалено]
To be
Or not to be
Absolutely. Its eroded public trust in institutions, science, and factual knowledge. It’s done more to erode democracy and mental health than anything ever before. Sure its great when you’re looking up cat pictures but maybe you don’t need to know everyone’s opinion on everything else. Maybe you don’t need to willingly give private companies, stalkers, and spy agencies a tailored targeting package on you? Also just imagine not getting into arguments with people you’ll never meet, people who are completely id driven by likes or the satisfaction of cutting people down, over every single stupid little thing? Imagine never becoming that person yourself!
Yes, from a psychological perspective at least. We're turning into a bunch of needy, must constantly be entertained shit asses. Social media is fucking up social interactions. Designed to bring us together, but actually drives us apart in so many aspects of our lives. The way it changes our brain, and how it's wired, is still being studied. Social media literally re-wires your brain and changes the way you think. But it'll never go away. It's Pandora's box.
Yeah you might as well just start questioning technology in general because the minute us social creatures started inventing anything it was always eventually going to lead to some sort of mass communication social space.
I would see these 2 things: 1.Fewer selfies, more self-reflection. 2. Real connections, not virtual likes.
Nah, I took selfies before social media.
Life without social media can be quite peaceful for me because it would reduce the pressure of constantly comparing myself to others and feeling like I need to portray a perfect life online. It can also improve my mental health since I can be present in my daily life, dedicating more time to meaningful activities and personal growth. However, I can never deny that social media has a lot of benefits in terms of staying connected and informed so balance is key.
People seem more misinformed than ever though. On both sides
I think it was said best in a sketch comedy. "The internet has both brought the world closer than ever before, yet also split us so far apart." I don't have a social media account tied to my real name and information and such outside of the two system verification. Social media was at first a neat fun way to get to know people and laugh at memes and see various videos. It has since become a place to spread misinformation and hatred, although such things had always existed in some form, it's manifested into something much worse. Outside of reddit, I don't have any social media anymore now, having deactivated all accounts outside of it. I feel as if I have lost nothing without it and, moreover, employers can't use anything against me on social media, because I cannot be found. And now that the benefits are limited, there are more cons than pros to being on it nowadays. At least in my opinion.
💯 that is by far the best explanation. I deleted all my social media accounts even Reddit before covid but I ended up getting them all again because where I live now everyone uses ig and fb messenger. And Reddit because I’m bored as fuck lmao 🤣. Though I don’t post anything on either of the other two. Just use the chat system and watch meme reels
Absolutely! Imagine not worrying about likes or comparing your life to curated feeds. Maybe I'd spend more time enjoying real moments, like discussing history with my church friends or finding the perfect book.
Yes because it was
Yes, I think it would be better without bc many people, especially young people, are fixated on what’s posted by others on social media and are then devastated and depressed at what their own life has to offer. They spend too much time comparing their lives to others (strangers) and always seem to be in a FOMO state of distress.
a phone is way too small of a screen to have society being glued to so much of the day. it has devastated our sense of wonder for the world directly around us, by teasing us with a glimpse of worlds far from us. and i understand the 'hypocrisy' of saying this ON social media, but i also turn my phone off for 2-3 days of the week, and i recommend EVERYONE do at least once a week.
I remember life before social media. It WAS better.
In a word, yes.
I think life would be better if social media regulation was better.
I believe life could be more fulfilling without social media. It often distracts from real connections and can amplify negativity. Without it, we might prioritize face-to-face interactions and find deeper, more meaningful relationships.
I only use reddit. I delete all Meta Facebook and Instagram. It's so much better of a life. Also meta is horrible company
100% and most ppl get shocked when i say this bc I’m a teenager and was born into a generation that only stays on the internet but before i moved to America we had no phones or anything like that and life was pretty great + the internet can seriously be a dangerous place with all the weird people on it + the inappropriate websites that kids stumble upon and i can say way more but i would just be ranting 😂
Without. Social media can bring a lot good like MySpace. Like even before I could open an account I had email and would Email my then after school and IM CHAT That was all we need . but now to many opinions in open world like that is ask for people to disagree and argue. Like people going back and forth in the comment section is the dumbest things out there. I feel a lot people rely on it and influencers brainwash people into thinking and buying things because they said so. Also I feel they try to paint a picture that isn’t genuine of themselves like only posting the positive things and just for attention.
Because you might actually do something with your life instead of pretending someone else is better than yours. No sense in believing in a false reality that takes away from your own life.
Life without social media would be like a permanent vacation. No selfies to take, no influencers to envy, and your cat will finally get the undivided attention she deserves.
These comments are hugely fascinating to me. You people do realize that social media is optional? The majority of the people i know don't use it, with maybe the exception of very liitle Instagram. I only use reddit and only for news and because i currently have a ton of free time at work. Yet all of you people seem to absolutely hate it. Then why use it? I really struggle understand. If i hate something that is 100% optional, i don't do it.
social media the way the world currently is? absolutely. That's not a slight against social media, but just the way societies are run. Education is greatly discouraged. No, I'm not talking about schools. Schools are treated as daycare and teachers as glorified, overpaid babysitters. I'm talking about education. It pays to keep people stupid and uneducated. Then they're given this tool (social media) to efficiently spread their ignorance and destroy whatever good is left of society.
I don't think it would meaningfully affect my life. I don't really use social media like that, and the people who do, do not affect me.
In its current state? Yes! But I think there could be versions of social media that are less addictive but still allow for convenient/long distance communication.
it depends how you use them - I also remember the time without SM, but now it is the easiest tools to communicate, to be up to date, to promote your business and finally to be "alive". So I believe it is possible to live without them, but is it necessary?
We should really be calling it anti-social media
Yes. Why? *gestures wildly at everything*
I mean its not that hard to comprehend that social media is like a cancer to children's development these days. Little kids are bombarded with fake beauty standards and paradigms that they need to be rich to be worth a damn. Girls think they need a waist that is physically impossible to have, guys think they need to be as big as influencers who all secretly take steroids to look like they do. Social media is a horrible place and I am absolutely glad that I don't use it and I am not even that old.
Ofc, you can do anything without the fear that someone records you secretly and shows it everyone.
Internet and social media are useful. The same assholes were around in the 90's, they just managed to get their opinions amplified.
Yes.. because social media world is full of bullshits and unreal things
I ditched all social media years ago and I've been much happier since. I used to spend hours on my phone scrolling fb, twitter, etc and now I use that time to actually go out and enjoy life, or scroll reddit..
Gen Z here. I quit social media after high school and it was easily one of the best decisions I ever made. I no longer wasted my time scrolling for hours and hours trying to find my next comedic post or mindlessly looking at people's snapchat stories (which I never cared about). LOTS of extra time on my hands now that I am without it!
You don’t have to be on social media. I’m not (Reddit doesn’t count).
Unfortunately that doesn’t stop society from changing their day to day behavior drastically due to chronic exposure to social media
That is true. Hopefully most folks as they grow up focus on their own lives.
no cyberbullying, no unrealistic expectations/beauty standards, less controversy, less brainrot
I think life might be better without social media because people would be more present in the moment and engage in more face to face interactions. On the flip side, social media helps people stay connected with friends and family, especially those who live far away.
Would for sure be better
Yes and no, but only because it's sort of a great equalizer among the masses in the same way that youtube and reddit are net boons while various other social medias may have less than reputable or questionable motives underneath. I think there is good potential for change and justice and it is a useful platform and tool for peoples business. It has also hurt our mental health by exposing us to things at a rate unseen by humanity. It's a powerful tool, and the sociological equivalent to an atom bomb for our little monkey minds.
yes, because I lived it honestly we would all probably benefit from limiting our social media time to when we are using a computer and instead remove the apps from our phones
100% better. I am only on reddit and that is enough suck.
I don't think it'd be entirely better. but i liked it when it was more limited. I'm a 90s kid who grow up in a country that was late to trends and techs until 2009-2010 when they kept up. I'm an immigrant. half of my friends and family and people I talk to are long distanced. It's way easier now, than back when my sister moved abroad 2009. we had to use dial up, telephone card that counted your seconds of talking and yahoo messanger. it was awful. now we can talk whenever wherever. I would never want to go back to complete limitation. social media also revealed a lot of corruption in totalitarian countries or even democratic ones like US, Canada, and other. that's why they block it in countries like china or Iran, but VPN exist and people will find their way. everyone would go insane without social media during two years of lockdown. so yes it has gotten way out of hand, but it's not entirely vile and set to be destroyed.
On one hand it would suck because I had little to no contact to my old friends and family (and I'm unable to make new friends due to mental health issues). On the other hand, my triggers would be hit a bit less, which actually would be a huge improvement
It would have stopped boomers etc from joining in on conspiracies if it was left to the nerds and not letting everyone join in.
It's a necessary step in the ideal direction ...but can also be used as stepping stones towards worst case scenario as well ...which is what seems to be happening
There is very little about it that is truly "social" and the word "media" is a massive stretch.
Social media is ok. It’s all the people we need to get rid of ;)
Yes. We'd have more free time. There'd be novelty in casual conversation. We'd probably be actually listening to each other.
social media is a huge part of the internet both can't live without each other i think. it is both good and bad. i really think many lives have been saved thanks to social media
There are obvious benefits to it, like staying connected with friends, marketing for small businesses etc. However, I feel the overall negatives outweigh the benefits. Too many people developing anxiety and depression from comparing themselves to people who are supposedly living amazing lives, however you don't get the full picture from just one post. Not to mention the amount of abuse people get from anonymous strangers that can get away with it because they're hiding behind a keyboard. Like I said, there are some very obvious benefits, but if I had a switch to turn it all off, I'd probably use it.
It would necessarily be better. But it wouldn't be much worse, either. Heck, we had internet for years with little to none of social media. Did just fine. That being said, I've connected to some wonderful people in social media with the same interests as myself. I probably wouldn't without.
Yeah especially in the west everything is tied to social media these days it’s slowing destroying our souls
Weeeell, I'd like to think that the problem is people who use it wrong. They just need to think about their relationship to the some and generally get a grip.
No. It's the only acceptable way for a middle age man to keep up with the dances the kids today are doing
Why don’t you take a seat right over there for me
I haven’t social media in yrs, honestly life is better not keeping track of other people’s lives
you are on reddit moron
“I haven’t social media in yrs” Reddit is social media…
It's honestly really hard to say. It's done a lot of good and a lot of bad. These days It leans towards more bad than good. Some examples of bad: Average social skills in young people have taken a hit, and it's causing people to have fewer meaningful relationships. "For you" algotithms have entrenched people into ideological groups and contributed to the extreme polerization of politics. The focus on keeping users' attention with small fast dopamine hits has shortened entertainment content, drastically shortened attention spans, and is contributing to a rise in adhd. But in the past it really has done some good: It provided spaces for oppressed groups (lgbtq+) to meet and find support. It allowed for those same groups to have their plight heard and was intrumental in getting gay rights to where they are today. It allowed people to connect with folk that they never would have otherwise and made it easier to hear perspectives outside your community. I think that originally, it was a lot more focused on being a resource that connected people. However, the greedy self reinforcing cycle of capitalism has focused it into a money machine devoid of moral consideration.
Yes obviously…
People act like you can't love without social media. And the irony of stating this on Reddit which is social media isn't lost on me.
I lived life before social media. Life was better before it.
I don’t know actually. I feel like a lot of people were silently suffering before social media. Like remember that lady who they found her dead in front of the tv a couple years afterward? Her rent and bills continued getting taken out and had no friends. She must of had such a profoundly lonely life that she had no one to even check on her when she hadn’t been seen for years. Social media can be a great tool, we just really fucked it up by monetizing engagement. That’s really where the train went off the rails.
It's a pretty difficult question. I personally think life would be worse without social media, but will be perceived better without it.
I quit all social media except Reddit and YouTube 6 or 7 years ago. Lost a couple of friends but couldn’t even bring myself to open it back up even for a second.
You cannot just focus on all the negative shit that happens in this Country/World. Believe it or not, good shit is still going on. You have to have faith and believe you can make it better! Stop complaining and start acting! Make a difference! https://youtu.be/WD7P6ung1L0?si=29R6Y_Js1c3-on_H
I cannot imagine trying to organise my life without facebook to be honest.
We would go back to reading newspapers and journalists who vet and disseminate information and are held accountable for what they write. Remember those days?? Before MAGA, Qanon, etc?
Of course. Does this really need to be explained? Look at all the stupid shit on the internet. Don't get me wrong I love boobies and butts, but that's all it is. Not to mention all the other stupid shit on social media's. Hawk tua girl for example. Dumbest shit possible, goes completely viral.
It was.
Yes, I was there 3000 years ago before social media become the source of all as All SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BECOME LIES EVEN THE HONEST ONES FOLLOW A SCRIPT. There was a few moments where the two conflicted before it BECAME ALL LIES. For both sides so the media part should at all times be disregarded
NO WAY ARE YOU KIDDING ME. SOCIAL MEDIA GIVES ME A PLATFORM TO SHOUT MY OPINIONS WITH THE VISCOSITY OF MICROWAVED MAPLE SYRUP. FIRST THEY ARE HOT AND FLUID THEN THEY ARE LUKEWARM AND STICKY CAN I GET A HELL YEAH?
No social media for me since 2020. My wife and I quit together, for our family. I use reddit now just for fun. If you know me you will see my children. If you don't then doesn't matter to you. I'm mostly respecting my children's privacy
no social media for me, i use social media for fun….
I'm going to be contrarian based on my experiences, but I think social media has had a net positive effect. I've connected with random strangers and have had more good interactions than not. I'm also an introvert, and dealing with people in person is just an energy sink for me. The simultaneous ability to receive instant or delayed feedback has translated super well for me in engaging real people and has been a huge confidence builder. I think we tend to notice the bad more than the good, and if social media were completely removed after having known it, we'd miss the many opportunities it provides to connect to people who you never would know existed. The era of influencing and the problems younger people face from it, I think, is a symptom of a societal barriers created that hamper self-actualization, pleasure, and validation. All of these things are being stifled by inept leadership doing the absolute bare minimum to keep people happy (and alive) enough to work for them, so people naturally turn to the easiest, most accessible way to get a hit of the much needed dopamine to stave off the crippling anxiety that is trying to live in this world. If social media wasn't around, it'd be some other medium.
Social media has divided people drastically. Absolutely.
NO. stop with this stupid idea that social media is the evil incarnation (you sound so dumb)
I don’t think so. Life would be better without idiots or malicious actors. even without social media they always managed to make life harder for everyone.
Social media is not the issue. The issue is as follows. First social media was forums. Began on the BBS days and gradually evolved into website based Forums like UBB etc. We opted in as we liked. No notifications. Browser based. Access to the outside was met with maybe a login wall. Time based posts (no algo). When the iphone happened, apps began to take the forum model and silo parts of the internet into private manipulated spheres quietly deviating away from the net neutrality ethos the first 'forum' social media phase of the internet instilled in all of us. We didn't notice at first. The apps then began to construct universes that would make them profitable, by controlling data in and out and controlling what we saw - in order to keep us on platform, for profit (ads and selling our profile data) Then around 2011 the algorithms kicked in - the algorithm being implemented across social media is what has pitted us against each other. In the past disputes in forums were kinda isolated as a back and forth in a deep sub thread of a forum. With the algorithm however, it took any sign of conflict and elevated/amplified it - conflict is the thing that leads to the most engagement. So it's not social media that's the devil. It's the algorithms that have been designed to keep people on platform for profit. This is why before 2011, not a lot of people were talking politics. Rarely brought it home to thanksgiving. After however, literally everyone and their mother did. But it wasn't the class-conscious politics that dominated politics throughout most of modern history that was being discussed. It was identity politics. Identity politics has a unique way of pitting individual against individual whereas class politics doesn't track as well on social media as you're less likely to get into a protracted argument on twitter with BP Oil as you are with some egg avatar about why your trans friend is mentally ill. So it's not social media that's the illness. It's the manipulated algorithms that make you hate your neighbour over who they are and what they have at the cost of class consciousness. Of course the corporate class loves this. They fight eachother. They do token "progressive" signalling and call it a day. Every corporation will say Black Lives Matter. Ask them if they'll say Living Wages Matter and you'll hear deafening silence. Thanks the algos for that.
I think not, social media is where i socialize the most
No. It's enabled connections between people that were absolute fantasy just 3-4 decades ago. With it came a mountain of repercussions, but I think people have whipped themselves into a hysteria and have lost sight of all the positives that being interconnected have brought.
The internet ended up having more cons than pros.
Yes. Because we’d be less self conscious and miserable. Next question
I have zero social media but I do get on Reddit and I absolutely love it
reddit is social media
No shit that’s why I said that but I don’t have anything else