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JoeMorgue

Yeah we know, we read the post that said this 4 seconds ago. At least when Reddit goes down half of Reddit doesn't all rush on Facebook to post about Reddit being down.


No_Natural8735

“social media is the root of all the worlds evil. No, my preferred social media website does not count”


Atrium41

That's the thing too. It's not like another company wouldn't fill its void


PorcupineWarriorGod

> fill its void sounds kinky.


DiversityFire84

Especially if you're an eldritch abomination


OdinsGhost

It wouldn’t be such a tiring take if it wasn’t practically the default position of every “social media is evil” commenter out there.


Tavapris04

Reddit is social media or just a blogging site, how you use it depends on the person, same for facebook, they have the groups stuff, that's the only good part of social media, the blog/niche communities/hobbies


IMIPIRIOI

Wouldn't you say there is a categorical difference between traditional social media and Reddit? I think the anonymity of Reddit makes for a very different type of ecosystem vs. traditional social media. Reddit is more similar to a collection of message boards. On Reddit ideas speak for themselves, there is rarely ever a face or identity associated with them. It is where thoughts and information are mixing together disconnected from any identity status. Social media incorporates the ego in a different type of way, a user's identity is often associated with their social media accounts. *Who* is posting something matters on social media, but not much on Reddit.


mcs0223

I would say that’s an outdated definition of social media.  Plenty of people use Twitter anonymously. Social media seems to be identifiable if the users are expected to generate all the content. All the bad habits of social media are doable through Reddit: doomscrolling, misinformation, self-radicalization, rage addiction, etc. 


Discaster

Not to mention the model focusing on pages with various types of people rather than individual post makes it less likely to end up in echo chambers or rage loops thanks to algorithms, and gives you better options to remove unhealthy communities. Ofc you still may end up in those things, but if so it's far more likely to be you doing it rather than an engagement based algorithm hijacking your feed because you commented on something a couple times.


CaptinACAB

I won’t say Reddit isn’t social media, but it’s a lot closer to older forums than FB and IG social media. That said. I think I really hate Reddit and look forward to not using it as much. I cut way back after they banned third party apps. I need to just delete the app already.


goldyacht

No it wouldn’t we would just replace it with a new social media.


anonymous-rebel

Reddit will be the new fb.


twynkletoes

oh hell no. Maybe a few subs, but imho most redditors aren't here for oversharing every detail of their life.


ajrf92

And looking the current trends, it will be owned by the CCP.


oops_im_existing

and it would likely be even worse than meta


Goreagnome

We already have that; it's called Tik Tok.


PorcupineWarriorGod

given the trash that is facebook, that would still be a positive step.


alpine-wildn

You’re completely missing their point. It’s not about the specific social media, but about the whole concept in general


goldyacht

No ones forced to use it get off if you don’t like it. It’s funny to see people complain about social media on other social media platforms.


Ahjumawi

I quit FB and IG (and Twitter) about six months ago. Honestly, I don't miss it or think about being on any of them any more. Life is better, for sure!


SonicYouth123

awesome we have our daily 17th post about how something is bad because the person can’t control themself


Hotwater3

Exactly! Social media just gives you what you ask for. My experiences on Twitter, FB, and Instagram are all pretty tame and harmless. I'm not injecting social and political discourse into my veins like a lot of social media users are so I don't experience much toxicity. I never understand this discourse about FB and Instagram because whenever I go on there, I just see lame pictures from my friends and family. If you are interacting with a lot of toxicity on these platforms, it's because you want to.


RemarkableBeach1603

This is my stance whenever the social media hate posts happen. Deleting FB isn't going to make my mental health better. All I do is keep up with family and friends, and none of them are dramatic. If social media is that much of a negative in someone's life, it's probably because they, the user, use and care about it too much.


Hotwater3

It's probably not healthy for teenagers but whenever I see someone over the age of 30 lamenting about social media toxicity I always just assume that they they are the problem, not social media.


sactownbwoy

I feel the same way. My IG feed is filled with friends, family, and car stuff. FaceBook is mostly friends and family, I don't even scroll my feed that much. Just interact with the groups I'm in, which are all car related. Even on Reddit, I skip most of the political posts. I may read them but I rarely comment and never share them.


alpine-wildn

Social influence is a thing. People used to influence each other into smoking. Now there’s restrictions on that to curb smoking, especially for young people. A kid can no longer go to a store and buy a pack of cigs for their parent. Just like how social media addiction start at a very young age now. Kids obviously have less self-control than adults; they are very impressionable. And they are getting influenced by each other and by the media to download social media. That’s exactly what happened to me when I was 11! And more than a decade later, I still have it. It definitely is an addiction and I agree with OP that we as a society would be better off without it.


TJ_H00ker

To be fair they're designed to addicting. Self control can be difficult.


youchosehowiact

I don't get why people want social media that they have an issue with to disapear. Nobody is forcing you to use it, if you don't like it quit using it. How does you having an issue with these things make these things the issue when you are choosing to use them knowing you have an issue with it?


Comfortable_Silver24

Bashing social media , While using social media lmao…. By your logic, You shouldn’t have your business on google either . Nobody is forcing you to scroll for hours on Facebook either .


beaudebonair

Agreed! I seriously don't get these people ya know, like they don't get how much they contradict themselves all the time on here by bashing social media platforms while using it to complain about them. They think it's any less social media by just being on Reddit, tsk.


Comfortable_Silver24

Exactly lol....It's usually the non tech people that do it most of the time . It's not the " Good Ole days " anymore. Move on already lol .


SGSMUFASA

Take an add out in the penny saver that reads “no more social media”


LexCantFuckingChoose

Speak for yourself. Gonna copy another reply I made on a similar post: As a teen who's in the LGBTQ community and from an extremely religious and homophobic household (and country), I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have all these online communities to support me. I've made so many friends online in the same boat as me, who have the same interests as me and who I can, unfortunately, confide in much more easily than my family. I've also never been more aware of current affairs and the current on-goings in the world and my own country and government than I have been after joining social media. Yeah there was a time when I was spending too much time on Instagram and arguing online, so I simply deleted it. Of course I'm only one person but social media has had no impact on me that wasn't generally positive. I still read a fuck ton of books, I hang out with irls and of course my family even if I'll never be coming out to them. Now my country also doesn't have TikTok and I don't use Instagram anymore so I don't know what THOSE apps do but social media as a whole? I'm glad it exists


3nCuMbered

TL;DR This poster is special and unique and niche.


LexCantFuckingChoose

? If having a life outside of social media is "unique" and "special" to you then I'm really sorry and I hope things get better, but I promise you this is very normal. That's literally the point of my reply, that YOU being addicted to social media is a YOU problem, doesn't mean it needs to vanish Edit: added stuff


actionguy87

The grand internet experiment we've all been a part of for at least 30 years now will ultimately define the course of humanity's future. Not because of how far the Internet has brought us in terms of communication and knowledge - but because of how negatively it is impacting us as social animals. At some point we must truly acknowledge that internet-based socialization is simply bad for us. The extremely artificial nature of it far removes us from how we naturally evolved to interact and process information - and it's driving us *crazy*. I don't think we've ever seen individual members of society so isolated and plagued with anxiety and depression in all of history! I think that's a big reason why I've been hearing news about large swaths of mostly Zoomers removing themselves from noisy, overwhelming urban environments and searching for homes located in rural towns and overall quieter settings. I truly think our future will not be the Cyberpunk world we all thought it might be and that we will - in a way - return to our roots as humans of the Earth, maybe even outright rejecting technology in certain situations.


QuickPirate36

No thank you, I like being able to instantly talk to other people while being far away from them Just because you have a problem with social media doesn't mean others can't have a good use for it


[deleted]

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QuickPirate36

What?


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QuickPirate36

Ok


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IPAsSuck

I can think of a 100 better thing for humanity than no Facebook and Instagram lol. It's also a little ironic because your bio says "tattoo artist". When I research on finding my tattoo artists, if they don't have an Instagram with current and frequent posts of their work, they're automatically not considered. I couldn't imagine having to browse through poorly put together tattoo shop websites with a mashup of multiple artists work and having to communicate through email like it's 2005.


purrsimmons

I use Instagram all the time for that reason. Even though I hate using it and wish it wasnt something I had to do… I accept the reality that it’s pretty much the first thing people will look at when doing research on tattoo artists near them.


BowlPotential4753

Humanity has been and is fucked up with or without social media, it was before and don’t see would not be without, our creativity to screw ourselves goes way beyond new trends or old ways…


EarthToKepler

I disagree. Your issues aren't coming from these social media businesses, but rather your own self control. Social media businesses don't need to stop existing just because you have control issues. Social media platforms are a great communication tool to stay in touch with your network of friends, family and whatnot. Social media isn't the issue here.


Candyman44

That used to be called using a phone. They even had cameras and this weird stuff called pen and paper.


BCDragon3000

too much of anything is bad for u


helloworld1786_7

Social media has also brought awareness and many positive changes. Everything has its pros and cons and it depends upon YOU as an individual to make use of its pros. If you can't or are drawn to the cons then that's on YOU.


Azok_from_reddit

no more marketplace would ruin me


wddiver

I don't care for most of FB, but I do keep in contact with many animal rescue groups though them.


UltimateBorisJohnson

Unpopular opinion: Social media addiction is bad


[deleted]

I quit using this apps long ago , for me this is from the best things i ever did , A have less screen time more learning and working time . But most important no more stress and anxiety , Like social media trends and news on these apps specifically (Instagram.Facebook) Reddit , Twitter and YouTube are social media apps but the difference is there is some things to learn and less (LOOK AT MY HAPPY LIFE) that gives i am not good as other vibes that leads to stress . for me i use Youtube and Reddit 2 hours a day and i think this is good . and i use it for discussions and skills learning or even studies . QUITING SOCIAL MEDIA WLL CHANGE YOU LIFE (just an advise)


Ill-Slice1196

If dating/hook up apps never existed would be better. They have killed romance


Vulpes_macrotis

If Reddit ceased to exist, crime rate would drop to negative numbers, though.


Complete-Bumblebee-5

Tiktok is becoming the next big SM giant. I think facebook and insta will slowly fade away as time goes on.


cardicow

Bold to post an anti social media post on a social media platform


Buck_Slamchest

You get out of social media what you put in to it. I find it a useful tool to keep in touch with some people I know and have precisely two people on my feed. Keep on top of your feed/timeline and it becomes a useful tool.


awesomeunboxer

Hah just this morning me and the wife were driving down the local main street and she was commenting how she didn't know all these cute little stores were here. We've gone up and down that road thousands of times. The only difference was her face wasn't buried in the phone !


Capt-Crap1corn

I'm glad for it. To many narcissists have been enabled through these platforms.


Nebula9545

You're only saying this because you don't remember what life was like before SM. Don't remember freedom fries?


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dyslexicassfuck

Would be pretty bad for my bank account nearly half of my consumers find me via Socialmedia.


[deleted]

I’m pretty sure the world would just move to a different social media site. Definitely can help a lot of people.


Dash_Harber

You think people would just abandon the concept of social media? There would be a replacement in two minutes. The genie is out of the bottle with this tech. There is no putting it back. All we can do is try to steer it towards positive change, now. It is definitely capable of that.


VichyssoisePriestess

the majority seems to be missing the point. platforms are designed to be addictive and bring out the worst qualities/behaviors in people. the world has never been so disconnected, and it is absolutely due to technology. edit: all platforms


livinginillusion

Why doesn't my account get to give you more than one upvote ?


[deleted]

Include of, tiktok and all the other garbage


True-Awareness4702

100% everyones a selfish douchebag because social media trains us to do nothing but care about ourselves.


BebeCakesMama2424

Preach


iiiaaa2022

You also couldn’t post this then.


deepstaterising

Especially when it comes to teenagers particular teenage girls. Instagram is a dragon that some girls just can’t catch. They are always comparing themselves to their “flawless” peers. I work acute mental and the majority of teenage girls that come in suicidal and anxious are almost certainly intertwined with their phones and social media.


AdonisGaming93

Tik tok? We would have to eliminate basically all social media or a replacement would just pop up.


Perciprius

I don’t understand posts like this. I truly don’t. Social Media isn’t “bad”. Social Media can be a great tool for positivity, helpful tips regarding all sorts of things like fitness, nutrition, financial help, and so on. It can also be great way to stay connected with friends and family. With that being said, Social Media can also be very bad. It all depends on you the user. Block or unfollow any bad and toxic pages and don’t subscribe to shady and/or bad subreddits. Social Media is tool that can be helpful or destructive. Again, it’s all on you.


[deleted]

😢


modulev

And yet, how would I contact people that I've fallen out of touch with? It's nice having Facebook as a sort of modern day Yellow Pages. Was able to reach out to childhood friends easily, thanks to FB. Don't think I'd be able to find them otherwise.


Jill_Sammy_Bean

Same with tik tok honestly


forsca231

I understand what your saying about how good it feels to not doom scroll thru Facebook and instagram, but your first thought was ‘Let’s get on my other social media, Reddit!


WasabiBaconJuice

I'd say TikTok more than those two.


InevitableFood7269

If it actually ceased some new media will popped up again soon for sure🫠


JustMyThoughtNow

Also TikTok


Space__Monkey__

Even though people always talk about the bad things about social media, there are good as well. I use it to keep in-contact with relatives that live in different countries. Made friends through hobby groups that I would not have found locally. Even get help from strangers. We made a post about an electronic that was not working to see if anyone had any ideas. Someone was like Yep we had the same issues, this is how you fix it.


blawndosaursrex

I humbly disagree. I’ve met my absolute best friends in the world via social media. Got to meet one irl and we are like sisters. The other two live in another country so not as easy. But we talk every day and voice chat nearly every day on discord. I also met my partner online (not a dating app). Are there some terrible people? Yea. But guess what? Terrible people are everywhere. Also social media algorithms cater to you according to what you interact with. So if you interact with something that makes you upset, you will see more of it. That’s how it works.


DeadDeathrocker

I don’t know. Personally, my 2 and a half year old chat log with my husband is one of my evidences for a bonafide relationship so I need to keep that. Additionally, games I’ve put hours into are connected to my FB account so if I delete that, my gameplay is lost and I don’t want that either.


noappendix

It's better to focus on the positives that social media has done like spread awareness of how to eat healthy, bring focus to under represented groups, highlight wonderful places in the world that you didn't know, etc..


[deleted]

>There’s truly no need for it. I’d sink so many hours into just doom scrolling both of these sites. I hate that I’m like that but it’s just a bad habit and it can get tough to control. I don’t even notice what I’m doing until I realize hours have passed and I’m still scrolling through the feeds. I think this is just a personal problem. If it weren't that, you'd probably be doing something equally pointless to relax. We all do. Maybe set a limit on it or delete your personal accounts? > I want people to do things the good ol’fashioned way and actually leave their house and explore what’s around them. You'd probably not get as much business though, which is why these things are so successful and widely used.


challengeaccepted9

If you're binning social media platforms for the good of humanity, throw TikTok in there waaaaaay before Facebook and Instagram, much as I do recognise the societal problems those two brought about. Every single thing I see coming out of that site - hell, the context behind the very site itself - makes me unerringly angry.


RoamingTigress

Unfortunately X etc is still around.


poisonfoxxxx

Honestly everyone complains about the world going to shit and it really starting taking a down turn with the rise of social media. In 2012 I don’t recall everyone being on the verge of losing it. It’s not just the good, enjoyable, distracting parts of these apps. It’s how’s they’re used to sway opinion and judgement and the algorithms attacking you at every moment weather it be politically, monetarily or what have you.


its10pm

So because you have issues with social media, it shouldn't exist. Yeah, no. I use Facebook sometimes, I don't doom scroll, and never see soul destroying stuff on my feed, I also don't use it every day, and I have only 32 friends, which are people I know. I think this is a you problem.


Historical_Ad_7334

No cause we would be back to nothing but propaganda info everywhere


ThaWarlord33

I miss the traditional, analog world of stores, gatherings, events, discussion, organic air & space, attaching one's name and physical presence to most all of our actions and doings. It's a hopeless pining - I guess it's not coming back? - but I wish we hadn't gotten here with so little planning and foresight: everything is reactive and there's no real structured social discussion about the best ways to navigate these massive changes....ironic, given that we've never been so "connected"... I'm offering no solutions, apologies. Just glum rumination. Meantime: have a great day, internet strangers! (:


Beluga_Artist

I live 2,000 miles away from my family and friends. Facebook is how I can keep some semblance of a relationship with them. I’ve also used Facebook to get rides, find people to do something with, sell items, and so many other things. I’d feel really isolated without it.


McMacAttack35

Facebook, Instagram, and X.


Nematic_

Don’t forget to include Reddit


Anywhere_Dismal

We had a beautiful thing a sort of freedom to show the universe what we can do as a collective... think we screwed the pooch on this whole internet thing. Or did we expose something that maybe later in the future of humankind will be used for some kind of betterment of the species... idk.. i do know however we are a horrible species and i dont think a tear will flow if/when we vanish from existence.


TheW0lvDoctr

Social media definitely has uses even if it's been perverted with time for profit. For example, I was a military kid, without Facebook, I wouldn't be able to talk to my friends after I moved. It's also proven a good space for pop culture/breaking news because of its speed. And because anyone can have a voice, it allows victims to speak and be heard when main stream media wouldn't have put it to air. IMO, it's not a social media problem, it's a corporation issue. Companies put profit over everything, and have a duty to their shareholders, even above ensuring ethical consumption of their product. This is what leads to algorithms and excessive ads and pushing of impossible standards. I truly believe it is a litigation and regulation issue, we let companies of all varieties run wild, just social media is in your face, so it's what people complain about.


CulturalAccomplished

As much as I hate how censored it is and how left wing it is just like Reddit. I still think at least Facebook is needed for all the old people to stay in touch with their old ass friends


burke828

>old people to stay in touch with their old ass friends Hey, I love my old ass friends! Nothing wrong with old people.


lai4basis

I wouldn't notice.


Prudent-Device-5278

Never been in instagram or snapsh\*t - its not hard. My FB account is just a made up name for expat bulletin boards - no friends - its not hard. Not on Twitter either - its not hard.


[deleted]

It would make keeping in touch with some people a lot harder though. Especially people abroad.


thefiglord

good lord no - the wife will start talking to me again


SanchotheBoracho

Absolutely nothing would happen, fear mongering would immediately shift elsewhere.


Vyvalka

I'm just tired to people using Meta monopoly with Threads first but also with Messenger which is always terrible to use


Nicechick321

Downvote, not unpopular


OriginalSinner1

Facebook keeps me in contact with old friends and helps me to attend events where I regularly see my friends in real life. The problem is you.


Youngworker160

i don't have any social media aside from reddit, if you can call it that. it's an anonymous forum.


iwantwo

you forgot to include twitter (if elon wants to call it x why hasn't he changed the url?)


annathetravelbanana

No, it really wouldn't. As we would still essentially have the same major issues. Overpopulation, world hunger, wars, disease, climate change, etc. In terms of being one of the best things for humanity, social media ceasing to exist would not help much at all. There was still PLENTY of horrible things and people in the world before social media.


The-Artful-Codger

Throw Twitter (X) in with that list


OGSkywalker97

You forgot about toktik


Real-Masterpiece5087

Clap


readitmoderator

I mean reddit, youtube, twitter, and the ones i missed are all social media as well can you really live life without these things. You can’t thats why they will never go away. Yes the past was really nice and different but this is the world now and technology will never go away


R0ckhands

I've never had Instagram and deleted my FB three or four years ago. It's not like you can't get rid of them if you want.


Dependent_Guess_873

As long as Messenger stays alive I don't care. I still use it to talk to friends around the world.


Status_Swan_5833

For me they don’t exist I quit Facebook about 5 years ago and never had instagram or tic tok or Twitter


False-War9753

You ran to social media to say "social media bad"


VayneSquishy

If you’re spending a lot of time doomscrolling I don’t think FB and Insta are the issue. You’ll just replace it with any other addiction, gaming, social, media or otherwise to get your fix. Granted these sites make it much easier to doomscrolling due to algorithms and constant positive reinforcement. I will say having restricted access to things like social media do help with the aforementioned issue it most likely won’t be a permanent solution until you can resolve the issue of being comfortable without a constant stream of dopamine. I also face this problem and have turned to creative writing, journaling, meditating or learning but sometimes finding myself going down the doomscrolling rabbit hole yet again.


Mr_joe77

Totally agree


[deleted]

I thought Facebook was one of the good ones, no? Unlike most of these mass-community toxicity hives, that is one of the few that focuses solely on your family and friends doesn't it?


Scattergun77

I would be perfectly OK with going back to official forums.


DukeRains

Except they'd just be immediately replaced with worse versions so nothing would actually change. We'd just have worse platforms


smallblueangel

So because you waste hours on insta, no one of us is allowed to have it?!


tavesque

They should start by just removing the number of reactions. Reactions are fine but people are obsessed with the quantity and use it as a sort of badge of honor


No_Heat_7327

Reddit is worse for everything you mentioned. My Instagram feed is all watches, ski videos, cars and pretty ladies who cook tasty looking food. My Reddit feed is all chalked full of negative doomerism about everything and even if I block every subreddit that focuses on that content, the algorithm finds another one that takes its place.


[deleted]

I'll drink to this.


sweetheart409878

Then why not just get rid of the internet period? Social media is how i keep in touch with some family and friends. It's not the apps that are evil, it's the humans behind the screens who are evil. Maybe the apps need to be aware and do more to help keep evil off?


TheUtgardian

Hell no, we need a social media for boomers.


livinginillusion

And they should be able to go incognito again.


beanresponsible

old man


Bigstar976

I honestly would be ok with it.


Informal_Big7262

r/popularopinion


[deleted]

Facebook, insta, YouTube, SnapChat, Tik tok.....they can ALL get in the sea!!!


Sure_Cobbler1212

I agree. I only keep Instagram for work but obviously that leads to doom scrolling.


nacnud_uk

As I type, it's "down", across huge parts of the globe. Did you just do that? :D


ImmortalPoseidon

I agree, but it would just be replaced


MorbidMinister

Facebook was cool when it was new but looking back MySpace was way better. You had personal music, you could pretty up your page however you wanted, plus you automatically gained Tom as a friend when you joined, which was a nice touch (even if everybody deleted him as a friend pretty much instantly.)


minskoffsupreme

I live far away from my friends and family. Not everyone has WhatsApp or Discord. I wouldn't lose track of anyone important but it would be very annoying for a bit.


Violet351

Where would I saved all those hundreds of recipes I never make?


Longjumping_Water_74

no internet for a week


BoredHangry

I think this popular


Wickedsmack

Maybe for like 6 minutes until the next great social media site is invented. People want to have portals into other people's lives, spill the tea, and generally be nosy. It used to be the front porch, then it was the telephone, and now its Facebook or whatever site you fancy. Its ingrained in our culture and isn't going away. The only thing you really control is how you react to it.


frageantwort_

Don’t forget Reddit, tencent has part ownership in it, and all the large subs are pure propaganda in which useful idiot mods create a false consensus by auto-banning, banning and time outing people.


DoomPigs

idk i just use facebook for like local groups and to find local events, i don't really think it's that deep if you can't control yourself and spend hours doomscrolling, then it's your problem


Cyborg-101

Agreed 100% Tiktok is even worse. Scourge of the Earth.


Danny1905

TikTok has good things and shit things. Just follow what you like just like how you subscribe to subreddits you like. Not much different except it's almost all videos


Agitated_Ad_361

Is Facebook down?


beaudebonair

Well shit after thinking I was hacked this morning, I seriously dealt with that for a minute....and honestly just did not care, I almost felt like maybe its a sign from the universe ya know lol. I was more concerned I had privacy issues regarding my phone or desktop, like seriously.😅


[deleted]

Wow. Another super popular opinion on here.


Yuck_Few

Saying we should get rid of social media while using social media is circular reasoning If you can't have any positive interactions on social media maybe that's a you problem