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My comment contained some snark. I’m just tired of the “both sides” that even your comment is full of. Social media preys upon inherent weaknesses in the human

My comment contained some snark. I’m just tired of the “both sides” that even your comment is full of. Social media preys upon inherent weaknesses in the human psyche because humans were never meant to be this connected and we lack the mental tools to thrive in this environment. I truly believe our children’s children will look back upon us in horror and bafflement. In horror at what we allowed social media to do to culture, society and health. In bafflement that it took us so long to do anything about it.

rektide 4y ago
> In bafflement that it took us so long to do anything about it. Fully agree, but mostly I think the reactionary forces we have now are low-grade, petty, shitty, antagonistic, reactionary forces. They grumble & whine & attack, but they don't really have anything to offer; it's all mud-slinging. I don't think we've tried actually helping people, and I see now proposals out there for what we would do. In my view, there's works like Web Annotations & https://Hypothes.is https://Hypothes.is that we could use to overlay new civil layers to the online world, without having to ask permission or fight each site. The people to blame here are us, for not bothering to actually own & become decent techies. The social sites are barely able to keep shit together, and it's not their fault, and intervening won't make anything better: we need civic exploration, we need personal empowerment, and we have everything we need to try & explore better right now if we cared to. This feels very Pandora's Box. Do we just try to slam the box shut? Do we risk leaving hope trapped inside? Do we give in to fear? Personally I think the way out is through. That we must better explore what being online people could mean & how to assess & weigh value. That we must better be able to reflect & share our reflections on what we happen upon, with not quite such heavy friction as we have now (having to write long paragraphs, or being reduces to sending heart/stars). Society has, in my view, roundly refused the mantle of responsibility, and I hardly blame them given how obtuse tech is, but simply being conservative & reactionary to the state of affairs, being upset & negative, is the negative-revolutionary force: actual positive tenants need to exist & be promoted somewhere along the line. I see so few who can offer a reasoned approach, who have shown any real consideration for how we might get beyond where we are.

rektide 4y ago

> In bafflement that it took us so long to do anything about it. Fully agree, but mostly I think the reactionary forces we have now are low-grade, petty, shitty, antagonistic, reactionary forces. They grumble & whine & attack, but they don't really have anything to offer; it's all mud-slinging. I don't think we've tried actually helping people, and I see now proposals out there for what we would do. In my view, there's works like Web Annotations & https://Hypothes.is https://Hypothes.is that we could use to overlay new civil layers to the online world, without having to ask permission or fight each site. The people to blame here are us, for not bothering to actually own & become decent techies. The social sites are barely able to keep shit together, and it's not their fault, and intervening won't make anything better: we need civic exploration, we need personal empowerment, and we have everything we need to try & explore better right now if we cared to. This feels very Pandora's Box. Do we just try to slam the box shut? Do we risk leaving hope trapped inside? Do we give in to fear? Personally I think the way out is through. That we must better explore what being online people could mean & how to assess & weigh value. That we must better be able to reflect & share our reflections on what we happen upon, with not quite such heavy friction as we have now (having to write long paragraphs, or being reduces to sending heart/stars). Society has, in my view, roundly refused the mantle of responsibility, and I hardly blame them given how obtuse tech is, but simply being conservative & reactionary to the state of affairs, being upset & negative, is the negative-revolutionary force: actual positive tenants need to exist & be promoted somewhere along the line. I see so few who can offer a reasoned approach, who have shown any real consideration for how we might get beyond where we are.