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The effect of deactivating Facebook and Instagram on users' emotional state

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Re: The effect of deactivating Facebook and Instagram on users' emotional state

#221

Post by veunes »

milesrout wrote: post #103
xyzal wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the EU should flex their regulatory muscle and forbid algorithmic feeds on by default unless the networks break european society as the US is broken.

The result of a purely chronological feed is that you have to scroll through 10 posts from the same person and never see anything from people that post good content rarely. Plenty of people like and enjoy "algorithmic feeds". I can enjoy occasionally scrolling through a feed. Banning it is like banning alcohol because there are alcoholics in society. If you can't handle it, switch it off.

Having algorithmic feeds as an option, not the default, would be a huge step forward

Re: The effect of deactivating Facebook and Instagram on users' emotional state

#222

Post by ghaff »

jeffhuys wrote: post #206
ghaff wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My sense is that Twitter’s fall was an opportunity for a lot of people to just drop out. I know for me it’s become a very occasional thing and neither Bluesky nor Mastodon ever achieved critical mass. As far as I’m concerned the format is largely done. Never engaged with the political stuff.

And you all made place for guys like me; I don’t get booed away by 90% of the users anymore when engaging in discussion, more often I get an actual discussion out of it. Before that it was just a highly toxic “noo my opinion is the right one and I’m rigid on that and you’re an idiot” ambience. Funny how things shift like that. Also never engaged with political stuff.

Whatever works for you personally I find there is no longer a critical mass of professional peers to engage with so I’ve mostly reluctantly just dropped it.

Re: The effect of deactivating Facebook and Instagram on users' emotional state

#223

Post by Sammi »

mikewarot wrote: post #153
8s2ngy wrote: post #41

I believe many of the problems in our current social media landscape could be solved by eliminating the "feed" and instead displaying posts, updates, and pictures from friends, family, and those we know in real life. This approach might conflict with the profit models of big tech social media and could go against what most people have become accustomed to. Personally, I would love a smaller social network where I can…

I read Facebook with the special URL[1] that gives a traditional reverse chronological feed (plus ads, of course), but it's all my friends and family. Unfortunately, some of my family post insane political views, usually about now in the early AM. Being told that a King of the USA and the elimination of due process are good things doesn't help my mental health. [1] https://www.facebook.com/?sk=h_chr

I unfollow quickly and swiftly if I don't enjoy your posts. I don't care how close family you are or how long I've known you.

Re: The effect of deactivating Facebook and Instagram on users' emotional state

#224

Post by intended »

designerarvid wrote: post #79
8s2ngy wrote: post #41

I believe many of the problems in our current social media landscape could be solved by eliminating the "feed" and instead displaying posts, updates, and pictures from friends, family, and those we know in real life. This approach might conflict with the profit models of big tech social media and could go against what most people have become accustomed to. Personally, I would love a smaller social network where I can…

Intellectually many want this. But the feed shortcuts our reptile brain and gains more engagement minutes / day. As you say, the algorithmic feed is superior for creators wanting reach, and more importantly, advertisers who want eyeballs on their ads. Due to network effects, it is likely impossible to get friends and family to join a boring and non-profit alternative. Instead of pausing social media altogether, I rec…

I’m reminded of how junk food was seen as a dominant and crushing force, and how today we have moved to people willingly embracing healthier lifestyles.

I rue the amount of damage caused, before people and society began resisting and arresting its deleterious effects.

But perhaps this is the same process being followed here. New shiny for the reptile brain, eventually the costs are made clear and people decide they would rather not become statistics and instead find joy in other formats and tools.

Then People make those formats or invent ways of engaging with our tools that includes self care and leads to more happiness. We grow older and we eventually get tired of all the online health fads and become crotchety older humans.

Get off my lawn, in advance.

Re: The effect of deactivating Facebook and Instagram on users' emotional state

#225

Post by veunes »

kleiba wrote: post #166

I'm certainly an anomaly but since to me the downsides of social media have always been quite prominent and seemed to outweigh the benefits by a margin, I never jumped on the social media train. But I've got to say, it's getting harder and harder to keep that up. As our kids get older especially, almost all of their social activities are somehow tied to social media one way or the other: no matter what they're joinin…

Social media (and apps like WhatsApp) have basically become the new default infrastructure for everyday communication, and opting out can unintentionally make you feel like you're opting out of life, especially when it comes to your kids' social circles.

Re: The effect of deactivating Facebook and Instagram on users' emotional state

#227

Post by veunes »

donatj wrote: post #111

Before its fall, I had over 700 followers on Twitter. I could post any random thought and within minutes be having an interesting conversation with some rando about it. For example I pondered why phone manufacturers didn't use a p2p protocol for distributing updates and had an enlightening conversation with a person who worked for a major telco chiming in as to why that would be problematic for their infrastructure.…

That era of Twitter where you could toss out a random thought and instantly end up in a rabbit hole with strangers who knew stuff...

Re: The effect of deactivating Facebook and Instagram on users' emotional state

#228

Post by rightbyte »

steveBK123 wrote: post #82
Kozmik1 wrote: post #73

Weird. There is little that depresses me more than watching my wife sit at the table for hours a day slowly scrolling Facebook while ignoring me and the kids. We have talked about it and she's tried to reduce it to no avail.

There's something about the social media influencer industrial complex that short circuits women's brains worse, as far as I can tell. Most of my friends quit social media years to a decade ago but our wives are all on it. Men seem to get sucked into Youtube wormholes instead. I think the only way out is cold turkey. The number of conversations my wife starts with telling me about some distant acquaintances recent va…

It is anecdotal but eg. me and my brother and some of my male friends "burned out" on silly meme feeds on sites like Memebase and what not before there was any very addictive feeds. Maybe fewer women was full of it by the time Instagram came?

Re: The effect of deactivating Facebook and Instagram on users' emotional state

#229

Post by KronisLV »

I deactivated my Facebook account because I wasn't really using it for much and haven't felt any sort of a downside at all.

I found that for social media, platforms like Mastodon feel more comfy and less commercialized, whereas for chatting with other people either 1:1 or group chats across various apps feel nicer without being directly tied to a social media platform. At the same time, platforms that are more focused on a particular set of topics/activities like Reddit/Discord/HN/... instead of people just trying to advertise their lives or build a brand in a sense (the likes of LinkedIn as well) or whatever are more meaningful to me.

To some degree, it probably has something to do with the size of those communities: Mastodon is niche enough not to get spammed with as many bots or adverts or people trying to push a certain narrative, it going under that radar is one of the best things about it, instead it's more organic content.

Re: The effect of deactivating Facebook and Instagram on users' emotional state

#230

Post by firesteelrain »

Surprised FB is even in this category anymore. Anecdotally, not many people post there anymore. I stay mostly for the groups not what people who I am connected to as a friend are doing. Status updates and check in’s seem like a thing of the past. It’s an easy way to share pictures with family. Group feature is very good. Our HOA has a group on there.
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