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Facebook quitters report more life satisfaction, less depression and anxiety

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Re: Facebook quitters report more life satisfaction, less depression and anxiety

#411
post #311

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a pretty damning conclusion given the paucity of evidence to support it. Are you so sure you have enough facts to determine that I'm morally corrupt? What evidence do you have that I think there is no act so atrocious that I wouldn't act without considering the nuance? All you know about me is that in the case of Syria I think it's nuanced. I haven't made any statements about other situations so how can such a…

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We've banned this account for breaking the site guidelines. Obviously you can't post like this here, no matter how wrong the other person is or you feel they are.

If you don't want to be banned, you're welcome to email hn@ycombinator.com and give us reason to believe that you'll follow the rules in the future.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Facebook quitters report more life satisfaction, less depression and anxiety

#412
post #392

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have not written anything to suggest that I advocate standing by while children are raped or that the U.S. should not have fought WWII. Indeed I specifically wrote that the U.S. should have fought WWII. How does one draw such wild and clearly false conclusions? You should try reading what I wrote without already forming a conclusion. I didn’t even say that intervention in Syria was wrong. I just said that the situa…

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I didn’t say that Assad isn’t evil enough. I didn’t say that intervention in Syria is not warranted. I never said that it’s wrong to think in terms of good vs. evil. I never indicated any of the things you accuse me of. Where do you get this notion that I think it’s wrong to think in terms of good vs. evil?

You’re clearly very passionate about Syria and ridding world of Assad. Why don’t you go there and fight his regime? Does your moral outrage stop at the point of actually getting involved? Is your moral compass so weak that anger and invective at an internet stranger is enough to feel you’ve done something good in the case of Syria? You are quick to send others to kill for you but it appears you lack the ambition to go yourself.

It’s fascinating that you can be so firm in your conclusion with so little evidence. Despite never having said or even remotely implied the things you think I believe you have an unshakeable certainty that I’m a piece of shit. Despite directly stating twice that U.S. involvement in WWII was the right thing to do you persist in the delusional belief that I’d not have been opposed to Hitler.

Re: Facebook quitters report more life satisfaction, less depression and anxiety

#413

What gave me the most satisfaction is quitting the news. Incidentally I don't have or use any social media either. Except imgur and sometimes among the funny memes I get news. But I'm afraid for people I meet who always remind me of all the awful things they've seen in the news. I'm aware of none of this until someone tells me. And yet my life is the same as everyone elses. Not knowing what is going on, living in a c…

Even "good" "productive" things like YouTube videos contributed massively to my depression. Cutting off YouTube was the real kicker that changed my life for the better.

That constant dopamine cycle...might as well just do coke and at least have great sex :)

Re: Facebook quitters report more life satisfaction, less depression and anxiety

#414
post #412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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I didn’t say that Assad isn’t evil enough. I didn’t say that intervention in Syria is not warranted. I never said that it’s wrong to think in terms of good vs. evil. I never indicated any of the things you accuse me of. Where do you get this notion that I think it’s wrong to think in terms of good vs. evil? You’re clearly very passionate about Syria and ridding world of Assad. Why don’t you go there and fight his reg…

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Re: Facebook quitters report more life satisfaction, less depression and anxiety

#415

What gave me the most satisfaction is quitting the news. Incidentally I don't have or use any social media either. Except imgur and sometimes among the funny memes I get news. But I'm afraid for people I meet who always remind me of all the awful things they've seen in the news. I'm aware of none of this until someone tells me. And yet my life is the same as everyone elses. Not knowing what is going on, living in a c…

I absolutely understand what you're saying. But part of me feels an obligation to be informed to hold those in power accountable. If everyone follows the advice of avoiding the news, what effect would that have in our Govenment?

There is no possible way that the means by which you might be informed today - mass media - is going to give you an impartial view of the world, without bias towards the ruling elite.

The ruling elite long ago exercised masterful control over the masses through media manipulation - it has been a hundred years of refinement.

If you want to hold your government accountable, you need to demand more leaks and whistleblowing. This is the only effective way of keeping the power structure on its toes - because it does everything it can to maintain power, including control mass information at scale.

I've never found the "News" to be anything more than "what the elite want me to think about the world" which is why, switching it off, life got immediately better.

Re: Facebook quitters report more life satisfaction, less depression and anxiety

#416
post #368

I haven't logged in to Facebook for about three years. When that 'off-Facebook data we have on you' page was released recently, I worked up the courage* to try to login, see it, and then finally 'delete' my account. (*I've been slightly concerned that it will be depressing one way or the other, either three years' messages and invitations to things I missed, or little of that! Since I just sort of stopped logging in,…

Completely insane to me that a social networking website wants to see your passport. If that isn’t some Gibson-esque cyberpunk dystopian elements creeping into our real world, then I don’t know what is.

Re: Facebook quitters report more life satisfaction, less depression and anxiety

#417
post #368

I haven't logged in to Facebook for about three years. When that 'off-Facebook data we have on you' page was released recently, I worked up the courage* to try to login, see it, and then finally 'delete' my account. (*I've been slightly concerned that it will be depressing one way or the other, either three years' messages and invitations to things I missed, or little of that! Since I just sort of stopped logging in,…

That's how they prevent you from deleting the data, so they can keep it.

Re: Facebook quitters report more life satisfaction, less depression and anxiety

#418
post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This assertions along the lines of "it's a privilege to be able to be politically disengaged" is just an empty slogan weaponizing empathy to guilt whoever it's directed at towards supporting your political leaning. It's also a privilege to be able to be politically engaged. Both ways of being are completely protected and legal (in America at least). And both privileges are available to all - even the disadvantaged gr…

"is just an empty slogan weaponizing empathy to guilt whoever it's directed at towards supporting your political leaning." What a wildly defensive response to something that wasn't even directed at you. Or maybe YOU think it was and believe it, which is why you got defensive. See, If you are rich you don't need to worry about issues that impact the poor. If you are white you don't need to worry about issues that impa…

I'm criticizing the assertion on it's logical merits (or lack thereof). You're ignoring the substance of my critique, and making a borderline ad-hominem attack on me, including attempting to guilt me for my presumed identity. So yea, I'm sensing a pattern...

Re: Facebook quitters report more life satisfaction, less depression and anxiety

#420
post #398

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does abstaining from watching the news prevent someone from being able to vote for a politician that claims to care about climate change?

How would you know about the issues if you abstained from the news?

I see these discussions play out all the time: one person says "my life is better since I stopped paying attention to mainstream news"; others indignantly respond with things like "how privileged you must be to not have to care what's going on in the world", and "how will you be able to make good decisions on who to vote for?".

This line of argument conveniently sidesteps the question of whether mainstream news is the best way to find out what is going on in the world or learn about electoral candidates.

It can be reasonably argued that allowing one's self to be influenced (or, manipulated) by mainstream news is likely more of a hindrance than a help in making good decisions or taking meaningful action to improve the world or support/elect good candidates.

By avoiding the day-to-day barrage, one is better able to focus their attention and energy on things that are important and impactful.

There are plenty of ways to learn about what is going on in the world and find out about electoral candidates, outside the corporate media circus.

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