Social media is a plague on the world

[StandFirm]

I've had it with those unregulated platforms which turn us into lonely, identikit appearance-obsessed, sad conspiracy theorists. They turn political debate into riots, democracy into mob rule. The irony of saying this on a public forum is not lost on me but the news this morning of Zuckerberg ending fact-checking on Facebook, the recent delirious outbursts on X by Musk and his ridiculous meddling into world politics have led me to delete accounts I had on those platforms. I still use WhatsApp as it's just a messaging service but the rest has gone. Anyone else feels the same?

Of course you are not unreasonable.
Mainly because the average person is stupid and can't see the real complexity behind most events. They are quickly sold on the version that talks to their strong negative emotions.
It's very dangerous because people united a are powerful force, to be united in fear in hatred is easier...
It's like at school a lot of children will make 'friends' because they dislike the same child... even if they don't particularly like each other. it's just how humans are.

But also the false sense that we don't need community anymore, as everything can be done online; you don't need people like you did a few decades ago, means you become less tolerant and give in easier on just being selfish.

You’ve completely missed the point of the OP’s post and are in fact proving them right by attacking the poster rather than engaging properly.

I haven’t missed the point at all. I’ve asked OP a relevant question that she has refused to answer.

This is a really facile take on the phenomenon the op is describing.

We aren’t talking about different opinions. We are talking about extreme, polarising discourse which seems to be becoming unmoored more and more from reality in many instances. We’re talking about misinformation, bots, algorithms and all the rest of it. Given the level of argumentation and comprehension skills I see on here all the time, I don’t think society is cracked up to deal with it.

There is nothing to welcome in recent developments. You could take Meta’s announcement that they’re getting rid of fact-checkers due to unreasonable bias on trust - but why have they also said they will also serve up more political content? It gives the lie to the idea this is simply about freedom of speech. It’s clearly about fitting in with the current mood of political extremism.

There is a difference between not answering and refusing to answer. As I pointed out earlier this morning, I had work to do and now I'm taking a quick break to specifically answer your question, which was whether I was left-leaning. First of all, I think it's fascinating to see PP's assumptions that people like me who are critical of social media are necessarily on the 'left' because the 'right' has won the internet and is now the dominant discourse. That's quite telling. My OP has nothing to do with my political leanings.
I also think that 'left' and 'right' are outdated concepts. Social media has created and enshrined tribalism of the worst kind and there is certainly bigotry and intolerance to be found among all communities - whether 'left' or 'right'. If you project the image of a left-leaning woman, try taking a peek at 4chan's pol forum (or many gamer forums for that matter) and see how quickly you get called a 'sheeple' or an 'NPC' (that is very mild language compared to what they actually do use as monikers) and get sexually harassed. Lovely tolerance going on there. And if I'm using the example of pol, it's because dear leader Musk has chosen a direct reference to its subculture as his username on X to brown-nose that specific community.
Besides the hate speech that is truly thriving nowadays, my main gripe - politically speaking- is with the unchecked influence of billionaires who are truly a form of global aristocracy, or oligarchy. They control too much of the world's economic assets: according to Oxfam, 7 out of 10 corporations are owned by billionaires (source: www.oxfam.org.uk/media/press-releases/wealth-of-five-richest-men-doubles-since-2020-as-wealth-of-five-billion-people-falls/) It's problematic on so many levels and I truly hope that at some point the US would reinforce anti-trust laws (as happened at the end of the Gilded Age to rein in the so-called robber barons like Rockefeller and co). With what's going on right now, I can't see that happening under Trump's second mandate.
In fact, I think the terminology 'left' or 'right' is about as relevant as it was in the Middle Ages - because we live in feudal times again, or heading there soon but just with modern tech... More discontent, an attainable, unaccountable billionaire elite and the rest of us serfs and journeymen eking out a living. I believe that social media is fuelling in part those global inequalities because access to information is not truly democratised if it is so open to manipulation. How can you 'educate' yourself and truly 'do your own research' (another social media favourite!) if you increasingly cannot trust sources. It's becoming murkier by the day. So, I don't know what my political 'family' is other than I believe in freedom of individuals, in the values of the Enlightenment, and as Americans put it in 'the pursuit of happiness'; but that can only happen in a stable society that is not entirely subject to the opaque whims of tech bros who see the world as their personal playground.
That was long but you did ask.

Why post about this on social media then 😂

Genuine question. Do people honestly use mumsnet and then go on to other forms of sm such as Facebook, tiktok, insta, X and not see a difference?

When most people think of SM in society, their first thought probably isn't mumsnet. PP answer nailed it in that MN is a forum and we all see the same trending and active, but we choose what we want to read, whereas SM chooses for you.

And to all the smug gits asking why post this on SM, last I checked this was a discussion forum. For discussing things. Smart arse.

Over the Christmas break I tried to curate my Facebook to get rid of groups that I felt didn’t add anything to my life, I’d already left any political groups/pages after the 2019 election. I got rid of any suggested posts that were just clickbait or so I thought. It’s like whack a mole, every one I get rid of a different one appears. I ought to leave but there are certain private groups I’m a member of that I value.

YANBU @StandFirm.

The manipulation of millions by couple of billionaires is dangerous. Hate Posting gives a dopamine hit and is addictive. Facts and nuance are too much bother for many people. They want to hear what they want to hear, even if it's lies and even when they know they're being lied to.

We are living in a post-truth world.

We are living in a post-truth world.

And have been since about 2015, probably well before but it only really became noticeable to me with the advent of the Trans madness when we were all being forced to pretend men were women or have our lives destroyed and scientific evidence was being suppressed to allow children to engage ruinously in gender ideology.

I think the problem people have with this sudden concern round the dangers of social media is that it was completely fine as long as things were going their way, when we now know that for example the US government had intervened with the social media platforms and were directing what could and could not be posted see "The Twitter Files".

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter_Files

If you're fine with that and didn't find SM massively problematic during those times and still don't, even knowing that was happening, but are now lamenting how dangerous SM is once it is unharnessed from government control then you don't want freedom, you want control and for other political beliefs to be subjugated.

My concern has always been about transparency, accountability and fairness. I keep going back to regulations around traditional media as a point of comparison and I think that whilst imperfect, at least there was some framework in place. SM are totally unregulated and prone to manipulations of all kinds- and before long we won't even know who's human or not (bots are nothing new but with the explosion of AI tech, it'll be a real mindfuck)

I closed my Twitter when the diseased Musk Rat took over.

Instagram and FB I use for getting tips on things such as hairdressers, businesses, my local area and keeping up with friends and family overseas.

But they are both becoming unusable with the amount of things appearing in my feed that I don’t want to see.

And have been since about 2015, probably well before but it only really became noticeable to me with the advent of the Trans madness...

It became very noticeable during the Brexit Refetendum. I left twitter during the trans shitshow. Both should have been valuable lessons to users.

The world is in a state of flux. There's been a massive technological revolution and the internet is still the Wild West, largely unregulated.

Interesting times ahead and it will end with a crackdown on SM sites and the internet as a whole.

I agree. It's a f-ing plague. Humans have always been jealous, competitive, hungry for status, quick to boast and big themselves up, etc, but SM has turned the dial up to ten. It exacerbates some of the worst tendencies in human nature.

It's also destroying the art of conversation. Is it just me, or do people increasingly talk at you rather than with you? I mean as if they're posting something on SM? I've noticed this more and more. It's turning everyone into a hyper-competitive, self-promoting monster. But they don't just do it online. People have carried the habit over into their conversations. No one seems capable of sharing ideas or talking objectively. No matter what the topic, they have to bring it back to themselves.

I think the problem people have with this sudden concern round the dangers of social media is that it was completely fine as long as things were going their way...

I totally agree @Adamante. But it's not past, it's still happening and can be seen in recent posting on Mnet this last few days where a habitual drug taking, erratic megalomaniac is being lauded as Truth Teller and Saviour of the UK.

I’d include mn in SM as a forum. As for the other platforms I don’t use FB or X which at least knocks that out

I like IG for light stuff like art, surfing or comedy. That I think can be a nice addition

After the past 8 years of being censored, restricted, blocked and people I know being thrown off of social media for saying simple things like "men aren't women" I'm thoroughly relieved to hear that bias is being lifted and sanity is returning.
The amount of people whinging about it is shocking - don't you know that you've been living in a state where many people have been unable to express themselves and free speech has been in a terrible state? Don't you know that some very dodgy tech bros have been controlling all that you see?

It exacerbates some of the worst tendencies in human nature.
Nope, humans are like that - you just didn't meet those people before.

After the past 8 years of being censored, restricted, blocked and people I know being thrown off of social media for saying simple things like "men aren't women" I'm thoroughly relieved to hear that bias is being lifted and sanity is returning.

As some lament the loss of fact checkers I’m wondering why this basic fact has been so overruled

The system sounds bad for that to prosper

Don't you know that some very dodgy tech bros have been controlling all that you see?

That hasn't changed. It's what we're discussing here.

Why do people consider WhatsApp to be social media?

Snort. I am sure our inept politicians will attempt to write some equally inept legislation.

But what will actually happen is they will write something so useless and slow that the populace will ignore it and do what they were going to do anyway.

I know at least 3 teenagers who run their own private servers for their mates to meet on. All the new legislation will do is push kids out of the open/legal social media and into the private stuff.

Which is obvious to anyone with half a brain/an understanding of teenagers/the internet. Which I admit is a pretty high bar to hold politicians to.

then if you took away social media, then i give you Musk on the page of every newspaper and on the tv.

people want democracy well unless what he says is illegal then you cannot pick and choose what views you allow unless its an echo chamber your wanting

bascially it will create data havens that are more hidden