To think social media has had a hugely negative influence on the world…..

[Battical]

….. and it would be better if it disappeared.

I’m not blind to the positives but the negatives vastly outweigh them. Hateful, inane content, served up by algorithms that encourage a skewed view of the world. Epidemic of narcissistic behaviour. Damaging comparison-culture based on dishonest posting of “perfect” lives and bodies.

Or am I being unreasonable?

I think the algorithm influencing is the biggest problem. Not everyone does use it for 'good' things and then it becomes an echo chamber.

Someone I know looks at a lot of political stuff and some of the videos on tiktok are awful. There was one linked to all of the migrant hotel drama of a group of protesters publicising where migrants are living and intimidating them outside their homes.

Whatever your political views it is wrong to frighten people like that and videos that put people at risk in their homes need to be removed.

There's also lots of AI generated rubbish that people sometimes don't recognise as AI.

Ugh I was just thinking this. I had a few blissful days without going on social media (needed a break from the mindless scrolling)
Just sat and had a scroll through and my algorithm must be all about neuro diversity. Pretty much every post is a video with a list of "symptoms" that pretty much everyone will have (to some degree) and then telling them that's typical of enter whichever neuro diversity best fits there is NO WONDER the wait for diagnosis is mega long... Especially amongst adults.

I've always thought I have ADHD traits but just read a post saying apparently being super organised and always on time is also ADHD!!! (I am almost physically incapable of being on time for anything!! ) surely being super organised is just....a good thing?? There will be someone reading that who books in to see a doc...

It is definitely feeding in to paranoia.. and reading all the comments too."omg this is me" "omg my kid does this"...
Argh just let us live our lives!!!!! We are all doing just fine I'm sure..

Also I do NOT need to see what 5 star holiday enter name of minor celebrity is on.... Nope I'll never be able to afford it in a billion years... Yep I enjoy my cheap caravan holidays just fine thanks....

Don't get me started on the makeup tutorials.... Nope you're not going to look like that impossibly beautiful 18 year old who has had cosmetic surgery if you follow that video on how to apply "contouring" ....get back to doing the ironing!!!

@Battical I agree, but adults have free choice to engage or not and it's easier to see some positives.
For children I think the impact is horrendous. They are quickly addicted to their phones, teenagers stay up half the night on Tiktok or whatever and are fit for nothing in school so massively underachieving, peer pressure and online bullying is off the scale and it's like an insidious virus thar impacts every aspect of their lived. I can see little that actually enhances their lives and the challenges for schools and parents are huge.
So yes, on balance, more negative than positive in my book. As I sit on social media posting on MN.....

I agree. Left social media a few years ago and very glad I did. Now I just need to give up the internet as I’m not a fan of that either! I appreciate the irony of my post.

It's a cesspit.

This.

I'm one of the fossils who stlll uses Facebook a lot. It keeps me in touch with friends all over the world. Or it did. Lately my feed always seems to be full of random shit that I have no interest in. Zuckerberg is evil. and don't get me started on Musk.

Yes yanbu.