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We'd be better off without Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. Anything that hurts these businesses probably helps society. There is just no big benefit t

by Levitz 3y ago

We'd be better off without Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. Anything that hurts these businesses probably helps society. There is just no big benefit to justify the amount of damage done to mental health and privacy.

josephd79 3y ago
You forgot Snap.
- hulitu 3y ago
  And Google, and Microsoft and ...
  - xbar 3y ago
    I will assume sarcasm. For sake of not letting a bogus argument go unanswered: Google and Microsoft offer generic tools that have very broad social benefit outside the monetization of user data. That said, I would prefer it if the FTC would address data monetization practices at all tech companies--it is a fine business model, but it is troublesome as a necessary addition to my spreadsheet or the operating system for my desktop/laptop/phone-sized computer.
- MyelinatedT 3y ago
  Snap is more of a messaging app afaict. I'm pretty sure the biggest harms from social media come from algorithmic targeting of content, echo chamber creation, and the ability to hugely amplify fringe opinions and destabilise debate. If your only concern is data handling, though, then fair enough.
  - josephd79 3y ago
    I do not use Snap but I'm pretty sure it has algo delivered content as well, just like Tiktok and insta.
  - a13o 3y ago
    Children become addicted to Snapchat streaks and their peers in school shun them socially based on whether they have big streaks with popular kids or not. It's like Lord of the Flies mixed with an episode of Black Mirror. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lets-talk-tween/201703/caution-your-tween-may-be-stressing-over-snap-streaks https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lets-talk-tween/2017...
    - fiveeveralone 3y ago
      Is the social pressure for kids to be popular somehow new or?
      - a13o 3y ago
        Do you rephrase my comment reductively because you're okay with corporations monetizing children via addictive dark patterns, in defiance of recommendations from child psychologists? or
        a13o 3y ago
        https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescent-social-media-use https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advi...
    - thisgoesnowhere 3y ago
      I thought snap was passe now that tik tok is around.
toastal 3y ago
And GitHub. That site is 50% social media trying to get you to engage and algorithms to suggest new Node.js projects for you.
- afavour 3y ago
  I use GitHub every day for work and have run into exactly none of what you describe.
  - toastal 3y ago
    You’ve never encountered the explore tab, or the recommended projects sidebar, or read the news of users ‘star hacking’ to get more attention to their projects, or chosen one library over another because it had more ‘stars’, or seen the promotion of ‘fork me on GitHub’ banners, or seen examples of ‘link your GitHub account’ right next to ‘link your Twitter account’ as a means of self-promotion?

by Levitz 3y ago

josephd79 3y ago

You forgot Snap.

hulitu 3y ago
And Google, and Microsoft and ...
- xbar 3y ago
  I will assume sarcasm. For sake of not letting a bogus argument go unanswered: Google and Microsoft offer generic tools that have very broad social benefit outside the monetization of user data. That said, I would prefer it if the FTC would address data monetization practices at all tech companies--it is a fine business model, but it is troublesome as a necessary addition to my spreadsheet or the operating system for my desktop/laptop/phone-sized computer.
MyelinatedT 3y ago
Snap is more of a messaging app afaict. I'm pretty sure the biggest harms from social media come from algorithmic targeting of content, echo chamber creation, and the ability to hugely amplify fringe opinions and destabilise debate. If your only concern is data handling, though, then fair enough.
- josephd79 3y ago
  I do not use Snap but I'm pretty sure it has algo delivered content as well, just like Tiktok and insta.
- a13o 3y ago
  Children become addicted to Snapchat streaks and their peers in school shun them socially based on whether they have big streaks with popular kids or not. It's like Lord of the Flies mixed with an episode of Black Mirror. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lets-talk-tween/201703/caution-your-tween-may-be-stressing-over-snap-streaks https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lets-talk-tween/2017...
  - fiveeveralone 3y ago
    Is the social pressure for kids to be popular somehow new or?
    - a13o 3y ago
      Do you rephrase my comment reductively because you're okay with corporations monetizing children via addictive dark patterns, in defiance of recommendations from child psychologists? or
      - a13o 3y ago
        https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescent-social-media-use https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advi...
  - thisgoesnowhere 3y ago
    I thought snap was passe now that tik tok is around.

toastal 3y ago

And GitHub. That site is 50% social media trying to get you to engage and algorithms to suggest new Node.js projects for you.

afavour 3y ago
I use GitHub every day for work and have run into exactly none of what you describe.
- toastal 3y ago
  You’ve never encountered the explore tab, or the recommended projects sidebar, or read the news of users ‘star hacking’ to get more attention to their projects, or chosen one library over another because it had more ‘stars’, or seen the promotion of ‘fork me on GitHub’ banners, or seen examples of ‘link your GitHub account’ right next to ‘link your Twitter account’ as a means of self-promotion?