I’m convinced social media is population thought control.
It was good when the “social” component was actually its purpose, and you used it to connect with your family and friends and see what they’ve been up to. Then it went to shit when algorithms took over, every other post on your feed isn’t from people/pages you followed, and keeping your eyes and attenion on the app as long as possible to maximize ad exposure became the goal.
We need scientific, critical thinking.
We always did.
But now it is a matter of survival.
It doesn’t matter how much you feel it in your bones or how much faith you have. Those things don’t mean shit and should impress nobody.
What matters is the evidence
It impacts them extremely negatively.
It has ruined communication. First texting abbreviations, then emojis as replacements for words, now it’s just like a post. Most platforms have removed the ability to dislike, because people dislike things in real life.
Reducing in-person interactions and connections. Some person right now thinks they have 300 friends because all of their Facebook “chums” added them because they were in the same class or grade in high school. But most are doing it because they themselves feel the need to have as many friends as possible, so it looks good on their page.
The concept of following people on Twitter or Instagram is laughable. All these followers, but none of these people are leaders. The irony writes itself
It has ruined communication.
I like this and want to add something I think will be significant as generations pass. The fact that it encourages or at least seems to normalize incorrect spelling and grammar. I see 'break/brake" being used incorrectly so many times I have started to question it when I am using it now. When things are published normally, there is someone checking for grammatical errors and such. With social media so much text is being “published” with no checking whatsoever and I have a feeling that it is going to start affecting people in ways we haven’t thought of. It also is a little telling in my opinion of how abhorrent our current education system is.
The education system like you said is at fault for that one. The teachers are born in the year 2003 sometimes. Think about that. Lol they can’t teach thoroughly because they were the same ones on average who had bad education themselves.
I’m an autodidact, if I only had knowledge from my school system I’d be dumb AF (I use abbreviation as well), however I also comprehend things and can think freely. Something lacking by individuals dwelling in the realm of social media constantly.
You just wait until you see what this A.I. is about to do in the next 3 years to people’s mind. I’m having people already commenting on my post asking if something is A.I. because it looks unique. Sigh they already are losing the ability of perception, they will bond interpersonally with the A.I. and subsitute that with in person friends.
I can see the damage from kilometers away
Yup. The fact that people are checking out on learning and relying on ai to answer for them is going to be a disaster with huge implications down the road. School and the act of being taught isn’t an inconvenience kids, it has a purpose, and relying on technology to do your work is a bad idea.
I think it varies per platform. LinkedIn fosters a disgusting ass-kissing “work comes first” culture. Facebook turned people into one-upping d-bags with highly curated feeds to showcase their constant “winning at life” bullshit. X/Twitter was a left bubble then a right bubble. Reddit is enshittified beyond recognition. It all sucks, just in different ways.
But perhaps the common factors are a sense of isolation and a disconnection from reality.
I don’t get why anyone is even posting on linkedin. its purpose is to have a circle of people I have actually worked with or done business with and I like getting and giving recommendations especially when I or someone leaves the company.
Same. I never post anything on there. I have replied a few times to a few former coworkers who have messaged me on there, that’s it. If the convo goes anywhere we move it elsewhere.
the messaging is nice for job searching. sorta nice to initially communicate on their before polluting your email.
… and a tendency, even on Fedi, of surrounding oneself in an information bubble
I still the info bubble thing to be bullshit. People hung out in places they liked in meatspace and lived in information bubbles before the internet. Its called a group of friends. If somone was well read they would have a nuanced view and most people depended on having a few noteworthy people to ask about complicated things. Open to everything on the internet means rooting around in a pile of shit at this point and the more you cut the shit away the easier it will be to find the rare gem.
Like this or facebook and whatnot. If your talking facebook and the consumer stuff I never got it. I use it minimally since they all went way away from their purpose. Just connecting with folks youve known in meatspace.
I don’t think its just “social media” by itself, but more like the overall advancement in technology.
I mean, its boredom that drives people to go outside. Now we have the internet and can just watch anything at anytime. Don’t even need to wait for a specific time for it to air.
Going outside drains energy, its so easy to just stay indoors and binge watch any tv show you like, browse forums, play video games.
If you tried this before the internet, you’d be bored so quickly and be forced to go outside, but noe there’s infinite entertainment.
Also, smartphones made the “self-isolation bubble” also became a thing in public. Why talk to random strangers? Just stare at your phone like everyone does.
Kids in school doesn’t even talk to each other anymore. You get made fun of if you don’t have a smartphone (you still get made fun of if its Android, but its not as bad as not having a phone at all)
I’m not anti-tech or anything, I like technology, but I just think its people misusing it. Like maybe stop staring in your phone during school lunch and talk to people. But you’re a weirdo now if you dare to initiate converasation with others.
So it’s a feedbackloop, because nobody talks anymore, I also feel more inclined to just browse the internet instead of making my self stand out.
I feel like all social networks no longer represent or are recognizable from the original point of social networks which was communication. Now they’re algorithm based engagement avenues for ads and market research and data gathering.
I’m 95% sure it’s why the US political system is so bias and the vibe on my latest post was lit, and I couldn’t help but flex about my rizz honestly, no cap.
I don’t really think social media actually makes people more social in real life and federated platforms are pretty much the same.
Also here’s a few interesting related things I’ve seen:
I also remember reading once that many tech execs don’t let their kids use social media or phones.
Like anything, you can have too much of a good thing. It has a lot of benefits, but it has absolutely become a cancer on society, or rather, supercharged the cancers that already existed in society.
