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this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2026
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Not sure if you're trying to argue that modern social media is a good thing... Because it really isn't. All of these platforms are actively detrimental to our mental health and destabilizing society. All of them have their billionaire owners manipulating the algorithms to maximize what they want you to see and minimize opposing views, if not outright removing them (like Meta is doing with the ICE List currently).
According to you? How do you feel about the TikTok takeover? Anxiously awaiting the same for Lemmy?
We have study after study showing various prominent social media platforms are bad for mental health, so that part feels pretty clear
Destabilizing society is a harder one to show, but I'd argue Cambridge Analytica, and similar programs are what got Trump elected in 2016. Social media played a very interesting part in elections in the Philippines as well, due to the inability for most to fact check any information shared on social media (Meta/Facebook provided cell service for free only to their platforms)
It's undeniable that large numbers of bots are used to shape public perception of topics. Several talks at Black Hat and Defcon have investigated specific attack chains used, and how sock puppets are used to spread specific misinformation
Given those factors, I think it's fair to say social media is destabilizing society. It's far too easy for relatively small groups to affect public perception. That isn't to say propaganda didn't exist before, just that it's a far more powerful tool than has ever existed in history
Obviously negatively, and I think it's irrational for Americans to feel positively about it. For an average citizen, a foreign country controlling a platform like that should be a good thing. China can't do anything to me. I don't have to fear reprisal from China for speaking out against the government. I do have to worry about reprisal from the US
Further, China has far fewer incentives to shape the opinions and discourse of Americans. Obviously they want to push a pro-China message, but that's a relatively small sub-sect of American politics compared to the issues the US government would like to shape public opinion on
news networks have been doing this same pretty much since they've existed
No, news networks are not algorithmically curating content specifically for each individual person, based on personal traits that they record based on usage.
Yes they are. That's what Fox news does. It curates content specifically for their wacky users.
Whether they use an "algorithm" or not is a meaningless difference based on luddism.
Fox is curating content for their viewer base as a whole.
Corporate social media is targeting each individual user based on their identity and preferences.
While similar, they are not the same.
Humans have been killing each other as long as we've existed isn't an argument to avoid trying to make it happen less
Murder =/= social media.
It's pretty sad that I have to say this. People are really losing their minds of this "social media" hype.
🤦♂️ Don't put words in my mouth to try to make an argument
just saying billionaires manipulating shit has been the norm for ages, which is why we used to have media-ownership limits...repealed under Clinton iirc
Agreed, but now they have tools that enable them to do it with unprecedented impact.
In my opinion, the difference is so huge, we might as well think they didn't manipulate things at all before.
Yes tools like TikTok that libs lobbied to hand to fascists. Now they want more of the same.
Yeah, by memory Rupert Murdoch had his hand at that and in Aus and the UK. I'd love to see that reined in again too
Massive corporate social media companies and rightwing billionaires are the problem, not social media.
What are you doing here then?
Who is downvoting this? jfc...
People here are rabid about this "social media" but give a pass to literal fascism.
Lemmy might fit within the technical definition of social media, but don’t be so obtuse as to equate an anonymous community message board with the likes of Facebook and IG that are tied to your identity, and are designed algorithmically to keep you engaged as long as possible while pressuring you to share more and more of your personal life.
The “If social media bad, why on Lemmy?” Thing is the epitome of halfwit false equivalency.
Do you really think the state and its fascists care about this differentiation?
They will literally come after Lemmy the first chance that they get. Far more so than insiders like zuck, musk, etc.
And it will be at least partially a result of y'all libs calling for it based on this wacky pseudo-science.
then use your brain and analyze this deeper than social media = bad
Nobody is interested in seriously engaging with your sophomoric “you criticize society yet you participate in it” nonsense. We get it, you’re 14 and think you’re deep.
Y'all are literally calling for this website to be banned for the sake of pseudo-science.
Lots of people are interested in this. Y'all are actively helping the worst.
Naw. I didn’t say anything about banning anything nor about any pseudo-science. No clue what you’re talking about
Great and I am not interested in being subjected to a moral panic that feels like the logic was laid out by grifters trying to distract from their grift by manipulating gullible idiots to empower them even more.
Good, take your L and leave lol
Leave here? Why? This place is being built by people who see potential in social media, not people who are stuck in a cynical moral panic that was deployed to distract them from identifying right wing billionaires and the brutal collapse of social safety nets as the drivers of suffering in their lives.
100%. Haven't these people been watching what happened to TikTok?
Or are they in denial because they were just as rabid about attacking TikTok?
Moral panics are an invitation to be stupider and more righteous and people love the simple feeling of velocity that comes from accepting that invitation.
Getting my fix, now move over.