Social Media - is it really a good thing?

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Vicious111

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I have been watching some videos recently on the whole process and mentality of the algorithms that go into creating social media news feeds. Honestly, it's actually rather alarming. Not only are they absolutely flooded with advertisement after advertisement until it resembles a Times Square cluster fuck, but the addictive processes it uses to keep people hooked are shocking.

An example being that the algorithms work to direct people to topics that will purposely antagonize you. If you get angry or pissed off you are far more likely to continuously respond to a heated debate you are having with someone than you would a positive interaction. Ergo the idea of social media actually being a negative thing in your life.

I binned Facebook a while back and reactivated it recently to promote my business page. Not interested in shite clickbait videos or ramblings of people I know bordering insanity. The quality of material is absolute garbage. I find Instagram is decent and enjoyable enough. Twitter I ignore entirely as it harbours the absolute worst of society.

Thus comes the next point however, your data. We are essentially being milked dry for our data in an economy which is worth Trillions and being called the digital oil. For anyone interested in the matter there are some guys (Jason Lanier - explains alot on the algorithms) working to create a new platform that actually pays you for your data. And make it positive.

Personally, I think it completely disconnects you from reality and worse, it doesn't actually give you anything. You can spend an hour strolling through crap videos and repetitive posts only to learn well...absolutely nothing. If you deleted that hour from your memory you would be in exactly the same position. TV programs, books and computer games provide a story and entertainment value. Even this blog provides reasoned discussion. Social Media is being linked to anxiety, loneliness, self esteem issues, sleep deprivation and envy. I wonder if in 70 years time they will look back on it as a harmful addiction, just as we look back at how smoking was good for you and reduced stress levels...
 
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Should check the Facebook page on here as similar views, I used to be a big advocate few years ago but slowly I saw the danger in social media, absolute cesspit of fake news, morons and moron sharing fake news, plus the whole self obsessed people on there.

I’m still on it for my run group I’m in and facebay is really good. Other than that I don’t scroll through anymore nor post.
 
Well other than posting on this forum , and sending off the odd email here and there , i just don't do social media at all ..... all that Twitter and Facebook rubbish will never enter into my life.

I do think the youth of today give personal data over far too freely , and without really thinking about it ... but i suppose that's the way it is for most young folk nowadays, we handed very little personal data over to anyone without an arguement back in the day .... but there again we didn't face half the questions and checks that people do now , and rubbish like credit scoring had no real place in society!
 
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Social media has replaced the press in many ways because the press have morphed into a nasty bunch from whatever narrative they report from.

Now some people are just reading social media that fits their particular narrative, and you get those who just like dancing Cats and people seeing how far they can spit.
 
Vicious111 said:
I have been watching some videos recently on the whole process and mentality of the algorithms that go into creating social media news feeds. Honestly, it's actually rather alarming. Not only are they absolutely flooded with advertisement after advertisement until it resembles a Times Square cluster fuck, but the addictive processes it uses to keep people hooked are shocking.

An example being that the algorithms work to direct people to topics that will purposely antagonize you. If you get angry or pissed off you are far more likely to continuously respond to a heated debate you are having with someone than you would a positive interaction. Ergo the idea of social media actually being a negative thing in your life.

I binned Facebook a while back and reactivated it recently to promote my business page. Not interested in shite clickbait videos or ramblings of people I know bordering insanity. The quality of material is absolute garbage. I find Instagram is decent and enjoyable enough. Twitter I ignore entirely as it harbours the absolute worst of society.

Thus comes the next point however, your data. We are essentially being milked dry for our data in an economy which is worth Trillions and being called the digital oil. For anyone interested in the matter there are some guys (Jason Lanier - explains alot on the algorithms) working to create a new platform that actually pays you for your data. And make it positive.

Personally, I think it completely disconnects you from reality and worse, it doesn't actually give you anything. You can spend an hour strolling through crap videos and repetitive posts only to learn well...absolutely nothing. If you deleted that hour from your memory you would be in exactly the same position. TV programs, books and computer games provide a story and entertainment value. Even this blog provides reasoned discussion. Social Media is being linked to anxiety, loneliness, self esteem issues, sleep deprivation and envy. I wonder if in 70 years time they will look back on it as a harmful addiction, just as we look back at how smoking was good for you and reduced stress levels...
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Whilst this is true, I think the need to be on these platforms for many is about connectivity, loneliness and acceptance/ inclusion.

To be verified as being alive or liked mixed in with being about to talk to someone random.

There's LOTS of complicated factors in the Human Being that draws it to the good and bad of these media platforms. All intertwined and exploited by companies.

Rather not be on the popular platforms.
 
Social Media is wonderful but its also a curse.IMO society went down hill rapidly when the Internet was invented.
 
BM is a form of social media. Always amazes me when posters on here think they’re whiter than white. All the issues they raise with Twitter, etc., can also be found on here (and any other forum - do not read this as a dig to this site, simply an observation that these posters aren’t necessarily better than others because they don’t have a Twitter / FB account, etc.).
 
BM and Youtube are great. Other platforms can get in the bin.

Facebook is a platform to host one big dick measuring contest with the middle classes one upcoming each other on best wedding venues, holidays etc. FB allows Sandra to constantly rant about Covid being a hoax. I couldn't give a toss if somebody from my year in school has just taken out a new Mercedes A-Class on lease and feels the need to post it for attention or if some couple have taken shots of their bi monthly meal out with a groupon. Got a promotion at work? Couldn't give a toss pal, just update your linkedin and F*ck off.

Twitter is mainly toxic and a platform for keyboard warrior trolls to spread their bile and hate to compensate for their own miserable and uneventful lives whilst other knobheads make a living from stealing tweets/content for likes/RT's.
 
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