Thread: I think it would do some good if social media got shut down once in awhile...

This might not be a popular opinion but I really do feel like there needs to be an "off-season" for large platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and so on. The amount of hate, angry, stress I see all the time in screenshots is unbelievable. I recently gave up on Twitter so now I am only on forums like this one and I have got to say, I feel a lot better. I know social media has its perks and can be a good thing but it just seems to get worse as time goes on and the worst of how people are is represented for millions to see. I think the lack of a mental/emotional filter is bad too. People are doxing each other, canceling each other, getting people fired from their jobs, causing rage mobs to harass people at their homes or businesses...

Having a timeout session could do some good. Even if it is only for 1 week. Everyone can just chill out and go back to reality. I'd prefer it if they went under completely because they have made people way too emotional and sensitive but I know that won't happen.

I left social media in 2012. The only reason I used it since was to maintain a social media presence for this very community. After leaving these sites, different purposes aside I've never looked back.

I think there are a few definitions of social media. I've seen people refer to YouTube as social media which I found weird. It's completely different. If YouTube went away for a while it wouldn't bother me too much. For me primarily it's a news (of various sorts) delivery platform, so I'd just find myself using something else to take its place. People have called reddit social media, but it's just a ginormous collection of bland forums that are usually used to discuss bland things.

Considering social media to be Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram (and other smaller similar networks) I would not lose any sleep if they all just imploded one day. I'd probably sleep easy. All these have brought is misery. So many people front on social media, exaggerating the highlights of their lives but sharing little of the bad with others. This routine zombification of people is barely scratching the surface of what's wrong with social media. Like you said there's the mobs, cancel culture, the social media hive mind mentality, to list a few. As some of you could probably guess, one of my largest criticisms of social media is the way it is replacing a lot of what made the internet fantastic.

I hate seeing that the most.

I use social media (YouTube and Facebook) to maintain contact and media.

I dropped twitter due to their app ability to scan my websites I have visited and Twitter can use it against as a way to say I violated their ToS.

I dropped it and never went back.

Social media is literally a time suck.

Social Media to me are websites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

YouTube is a bit different as you can interact with people but it is not quite the same, it isn't as personal. I never viewed it as "social media" for this reason.

Forums are what I refer to as Social Networking because forums have a core purpose or topic to discuss and gather around.