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Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

theglobeandmail.com

191–200 of 273 posts

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#191

I've been hearing this for over 5 years now, but social media is still booming, and most people are still on Facebook, and similar apps, and spending more time than ever. It feels weird as if everyone agrees, and knows that smoking kills but continue to smokes more and more.

Alcoholics know they are destroying their liver buy still drink, heavy caffeine addicts know their sleep cycle is being disrupted but still drink coffee. Thing is, there is a socially acceptable amount that not significantly destructive. I can drink a coffee at 8 am and still get to sleep, I can have a beer at the monthly game night and still have a functional healthy liver. How much social media can I consume and not fall in depression, compulsive behavior or be polarized in a fringe ideology?

Well for me I have mostly quit Facebook (other than messenger and using it for event scheduling for game night.) I don't do TikTok, Twitter, or Instagram. I only use Reddit for niche interest/hobbies and deleted all the default subs. I only use Snapchat to talk to a couple of people because its the best way to get ahold of them, and then there a couple of forums like hackernews i lurk and occasionaly post in and that enough for me.

Used in moderation social media is fine. Just like a beer every month or so or a coffee in the morning

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#192

Most important paragraph, IMO: > Conducted Oct. 8 to 10, the online poll surveyed 1,545 Canadians and cannot be assigned a margin of error because internet-based polls are not considered random samples. It's a pretty good sample-size, but we don't get error bars. I don't remember if there was anything FB-critical happening that week (when did the study about teen mental health come out?), but the timeframe could also…

Its this sort of sensational/half-true reporting that makes people lose faith in media brands.

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#193

I'd say most sane people don't only believe that social media in general is unhealthy, they know it. Some might push for regulation but I would just suggest these people quit it all. I did so a few years ago (well I guess with the exception of HN) and haven't looked back. Sure I might not learn about a high school acquaintance's new baby or the like but the people I truly care about know how to get in touch with me a…

I use it to promote my hobbies (digital art, photography). I don't believe it is unhealthy in general. Calling people who don't agree with you insane is not really a great way to have a healthy conversation.

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#194
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So many people these days instead of creating separate account to some websites (login/password) the use instead integrated Login via Facebook button. I tried to educate friends and family not to use this feature even for the reason that if their FB account will be blocked they will loose access to many other websites. However many people give up because it's not so convenient as to just clicking one FB button.

I have accounts with a couple of banks and can't say I've ever seen them using OAuth. But if they did, I'd consider other banking options.

how is using OAuth any different from using your email for a password reset.

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#195
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 v…

>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?

Okay, but who other than that individual person is to blame for their behavior? If we blame external agents for all of societies ills, that completely devalues personal responsibility. I don't buy the "facebook made me do it" defense.

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#196
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So many people these days instead of creating separate account to some websites (login/password) the use instead integrated Login via Facebook button. I tried to educate friends and family not to use this feature even for the reason that if their FB account will be blocked they will loose access to many other websites. However many people give up because it's not so convenient as to just clicking one FB button.

I agree that single sign on takes advantage of people not understanding what they give up when they choose FB/Google for SSO. What government policy could fix that? The fallback seems to be that people just re-use their email address in all their accounts.

which probably brings them back to a google or microsoft email account. back in the early twenty teens facebook even tried running a email service but killed it latter. if this were to happen it would probably make a comeback.

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#197

Most important paragraph, IMO: > Conducted Oct. 8 to 10, the online poll surveyed 1,545 Canadians and cannot be assigned a margin of error because internet-based polls are not considered random samples. It's a pretty good sample-size, but we don't get error bars. I don't remember if there was anything FB-critical happening that week (when did the study about teen mental health come out?), but the timeframe could also…

Its this sort of sensational/half-true reporting that makes people lose faith in media brands.

prisoner's dilemma: gain income while lying or let others drain your income by lying?

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#198

I stopped using Facebook for over 3 years now and I have been happier. I am still connected to friends, family and community over whatsapp. WhatsApp is much better because you are only connected with your friends, groups and not the whole world.

Do you actually have not stopped using Facebook?

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#199

Most important paragraph, IMO: > Conducted Oct. 8 to 10, the online poll surveyed 1,545 Canadians and cannot be assigned a margin of error because internet-based polls are not considered random samples. It's a pretty good sample-size, but we don't get error bars. I don't remember if there was anything FB-critical happening that week (when did the study about teen mental health come out?), but the timeframe could also…

Its this sort of sensational/half-true reporting that makes people lose faith in media brands.

>Its this sort of sensational/half-true reporting that makes people lose faith in media brands.

If you think not reporting error bars is what makes people "lose faith in media brands", you are so far away from reality I'm not sure what to tell you.

But how about you put aside the statistical nuance of this for 10 seconds and acknowledge the fact that real people, when asked, actually consider Facebook -- a piece of software-- harmful. They are saying that. What does that mean?

Re: Most Canadians believe Facebook harms their mental health

#200
post #6

It would be interesting to see whether people think news networks also harm their mental health.

Once Facebook's got through with them, I'm sure people do think that.

Quite aside from the deterioration of that medium, there's been good money in helping nefarious actors poison that well.

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