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I don't remember feeling depressed about my Internet usage before social networks existed. Just making a point to try and separate those two, as impossible as i

I don't remember feeling depressed about my Internet usage before social networks existed. Just making a point to try and separate those two, as impossible as it seems these days.

ajma 2y ago
I don't remember feeling negatively affected by social media until politics started to get into my feed.
technothrasher 2y ago
When did you start using the Internet? I was already using social networks (Multi-user BBS's and FidoNet) before I even first got onto the Internet in 1988, and then immediately got on to Usenet and IRC for social networking.
- dghughes 2y ago
  Yeah late 80s early 90s BBS (terrible name of BATE) was the first thing I ever did on a computer other than my Atary 600XL. Talk to actual people!? Wow! Then onto IRC where "no flaming" (arguing or trolling) was a strict rule. But 90% of it was people wanting to hookup people asking ASL was every second sentence. But whatever modern social media is there is something different about it.
  - technothrasher 2y ago
    I think the biggest differences with modern social media are that 1) it constantly seeks your attention with notifications, and 2) it is trying to make money, so they've spent money on how to keep you addicted.
    - dghughes 2y ago
      That's true making money is the big part so there's no incentive to control any of it. We are the product. Our info and habits are more valuable than any ad we click on.
- gtirloni 2y ago
  1994 with FidoNet access as well but I only interstate dial-up for that. Later in 1997 "proper" Internet access but still dial-up and only allowed to use after mid-night or on the weekends. Nothing compared to today's infinite scroll screens, constant notifications and "the algorithm". Hope that helps to clarify my point.
nottorp 2y ago
The internet is fine thank you. It's anything with a "social" component that's the problem. You need to split it further because I think the young uns think direct person-to-person messaging is also social media. That's fine too. It's when they start cramming unwanted content and "influencers" down your throat that the problem appears.
- squigz 2y ago
  > It's anything with a "social" component that's the problem. This would include Hacker News, Discord, online forums, any video game...
  - nottorp 2y ago
    > This would include Hacker News, Discord, online forums, any video game... Wrong. Neither HN nor traditional online forums push content selected to keep you "engaged". Not sure if Discord has started peddling "content" yet. If it does now I haven't noticed on my install yet. As for video games, are you of the kind that believes all video games are competitive multiplayer? You're right about the free to play IAP fests on both desktop and mobile, wrong about, for example, single player games.
    - krapp 2y ago
      The entire purpose of karma here and on forums like Reddit is to keep you "engaged" by pushing the most popular content to the top of the thread. And many people make HN a part of their marketing and SEO strategy, so the incentive for a lot of what gets posted here is just to get eyeballs and clicks, or increase clout for the authors and visibility to YC. And of course YC uses this forum to advertise their own startups, so they have an incentive to maximize engagement.
      - mewpmewp2 2y ago
        It is not as personalised as Facebook, Tiktok or Instagram. Problem is when a machine learning algorithm is designed to find content that has highest odds of keeping you engaged forever and diminishing your dopamine reserves as it is doing so. Hackernews can have issues, but by far not as much. Also having text only limits the ability to create such addicting content by far. Finally Hackernews doesn't play on your insecurities as much.
dfxm12 2y ago
Ignorance is bliss.

I don't remember feeling depressed about my Internet usage before social networks existed. Just making a point to try and separate those two, as impossible as it seems these days.

ajma 2y ago

I don't remember feeling negatively affected by social media until politics started to get into my feed.

technothrasher 2y ago

When did you start using the Internet? I was already using social networks (Multi-user BBS's and FidoNet) before I even first got onto the Internet in 1988, and then immediately got on to Usenet and IRC for social networking.

dghughes 2y ago
Yeah late 80s early 90s BBS (terrible name of BATE) was the first thing I ever did on a computer other than my Atary 600XL. Talk to actual people!? Wow! Then onto IRC where "no flaming" (arguing or trolling) was a strict rule. But 90% of it was people wanting to hookup people asking ASL was every second sentence. But whatever modern social media is there is something different about it.
- technothrasher 2y ago
  I think the biggest differences with modern social media are that 1) it constantly seeks your attention with notifications, and 2) it is trying to make money, so they've spent money on how to keep you addicted.
  - dghughes 2y ago
    That's true making money is the big part so there's no incentive to control any of it. We are the product. Our info and habits are more valuable than any ad we click on.
gtirloni 2y ago
1994 with FidoNet access as well but I only interstate dial-up for that. Later in 1997 "proper" Internet access but still dial-up and only allowed to use after mid-night or on the weekends. Nothing compared to today's infinite scroll screens, constant notifications and "the algorithm". Hope that helps to clarify my point.

nottorp 2y ago

The internet is fine thank you. It's anything with a "social" component that's the problem. You need to split it further because I think the young uns think direct person-to-person messaging is also social media. That's fine too. It's when they start cramming unwanted content and "influencers" down your throat that the problem appears.

squigz 2y ago
> It's anything with a "social" component that's the problem. This would include Hacker News, Discord, online forums, any video game...
- nottorp 2y ago
  > This would include Hacker News, Discord, online forums, any video game... Wrong. Neither HN nor traditional online forums push content selected to keep you "engaged". Not sure if Discord has started peddling "content" yet. If it does now I haven't noticed on my install yet. As for video games, are you of the kind that believes all video games are competitive multiplayer? You're right about the free to play IAP fests on both desktop and mobile, wrong about, for example, single player games.
  - krapp 2y ago
    The entire purpose of karma here and on forums like Reddit is to keep you "engaged" by pushing the most popular content to the top of the thread. And many people make HN a part of their marketing and SEO strategy, so the incentive for a lot of what gets posted here is just to get eyeballs and clicks, or increase clout for the authors and visibility to YC. And of course YC uses this forum to advertise their own startups, so they have an incentive to maximize engagement.
    - mewpmewp2 2y ago
      It is not as personalised as Facebook, Tiktok or Instagram. Problem is when a machine learning algorithm is designed to find content that has highest odds of keeping you engaged forever and diminishing your dopamine reserves as it is doing so. Hackernews can have issues, but by far not as much. Also having text only limits the ability to create such addicting content by far. Finally Hackernews doesn't play on your insecurities as much.

dfxm12 2y ago

Ignorance is bliss.