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Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

theglobeandmail.com

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Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#31

Post by chickenfries »

darkerside wrote: post #17
chickenfries wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with you that I wish social media was full of more posts like this, but foodgrams and humble brags as you put it are also one of the reasons I avoid social media these days. Seeing a feed of the best moments of other peoples lives leaves me feeling depressed. "Comparison is the thief of joy." I'm happy for my friends, but seeing it all collected in one place makes my own life feel inadequate. I'm much happier…

It's strange... I thought we were wired as a species to live vicariously, to feel joy when others are blessed, and feel pain when they suffer. You're not the only one that doesn't get that out of Facebook... Why? Is it the quantity? The format? What turns it into a place of covetousness and bitterness?

It's definitely the format and the quantity for me. Seeing an old friend in person and having them tell me about their life and accomplishments, even showing me pictures, does not make me feel the same way. I think it's also the fact that I turn to social media when I'm feeling lonely, so seeing a feed of people at their best moments, on vacation with friends, getting married, having children, etc... makes me feel even more lonely and isolated. Also, social media is full of people that I have lost touch with, who never check in with me or reach out to see how I'm doing. I've found that I feel much more connected by reaching out to old friends one on one and catching up with them via texting or phone calls. Likes and comments just don't cut it.

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#32

Post by lovecg »

jszymborski wrote: post #18
zepto wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What new platform? Why won’t the new platform be just as bad? Switching brand of cigarettes doesn’t protect your lungs.

I think that's a fair point, but I wonder if I can probe HNs brain on what a "healthy" online social network would look like. Here are some thoughts I have: 1) The platform does not have a user-engagement incentive. 2) Personal network sizes are restricted. You can't be "friends" with everyone. Adding friends perhaps comes at some cost or is just strictly capped. 3) Sharing outside your friends network from the platf…

From an evolutionary perspective, the thing that grows and is used is the thing that wins. If you take away the growth incentive you can’t compete by definition unless you change the rules of the game (worldwide government regulation?).

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#36

Post by hungryhobo »

jszymborski wrote: post #18
zepto wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What new platform? Why won’t the new platform be just as bad? Switching brand of cigarettes doesn’t protect your lungs.

I think that's a fair point, but I wonder if I can probe HNs brain on what a "healthy" online social network would look like. Here are some thoughts I have: 1) The platform does not have a user-engagement incentive. 2) Personal network sizes are restricted. You can't be "friends" with everyone. Adding friends perhaps comes at some cost or is just strictly capped. 3) Sharing outside your friends network from the platf…

heh funny enough, wechat satisfies 1-3. So maybe someone just need to clone that.

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#37

Post by greenail »

The knee jerk reaction to this is likely one to push for regulation but I don't think that is the solution. We should keep in mind that we still have choice, we can choose not to use Facebook. That choice is likely to have a powerful effect on the direction Facebook (or any other platform) takes. My fear is that government control of social media is such a tempting power it would be hard for politicians not abuse it. It strikes me that this is more of an issue with our culture than anything. That begs the question: can we choose to self moderate social media? The pandemic sure isn't helping.

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#38

Post by keewee7 »

flycaliguy wrote: post #19

Yeah, I mean, this is among Canadians willing to fill out a survey online. Frankly it feels like another push in the media world to shift blame to FB. As far as specifically Canadian factors, maybe don’t survey us in October when the days are getting noticeably shorter? I feel like we are all a little melancholy right now preparing for our lightless morning commutes.

What I don't understand is the selective outrage against Facebook/Instagram.

Why not Twitter, YouTube, reddit and TikTok?

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#39

Post by quadrangle »

azangru wrote: post #35

Why don't they quit then?

You can ask that for every single behavior that anyone claims goes against their deeper values like good health. Why do people keep smoking or eating junk food or staying up too late or yelling at family and friends when they lose their temper?

It's true that deeds speak louder than words. But it's also true that habits are hard to break, and there's the thinking-fast-and-slow ideas that our judgments, actions, and values are different when we are in the immediate flow of emotion vs considering the big picture with detachment.

If you ask "why" in a sincere curious way, there's a ton of interesting things to investigate. I hope that was the attitude you meant as opposed to the anti-curious condescending "why" that amounts to just being a doubter.

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#40

Post by SavantIdiot »

greenail wrote: post #37

The knee jerk reaction to this is likely one to push for regulation but I don't think that is the solution. We should keep in mind that we still have choice, we can choose not to use Facebook. That choice is likely to have a powerful effect on the direction Facebook (or any other platform) takes. My fear is that government control of social media is such a tempting power it would be hard for politicians not abuse it.…

> we can choose not to use Facebook

You're looking at this from a western perspective. Some non-western countries are entirely linked by Facebook products. When Facebook went down last week, some people couldn't access their BANKS. You OK with that?

That's what Facebook wants: to become something you simply MUST use to survive.

It goes deeper in the US as well but not as deep: some restaurants and small shops don't have websites, they have facebook/instragram pages, which means I cannot access them.

We need legislation to stop Facebook creep, because that "creep" eventually makes it mandatory.

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