Member-only story
Why Facebook is Dying and How you Can Help Kill it for Good
Groupchats Will Replace your Newsfeed and Empower you
I hate social networks
But I love the thoughts of being social
The disconnect between those two points is one of my biggest frustrations. Recently I have deleted every social media account I own. I want to show my friends and family the adventures I get on and give them a window to life events they otherwise wouldn’t participate in, but I don’t want to sell my soul to an advertisement machine designed to hijack my attention and exploit every second I’m awake.
I hate everything social media has grown to become
The intrusion of privacy it demands for access, the algorithmic timeline which serves up whatever nonsense the platform deems to be most profitable for them, the way adverts follow you all over the web no matter where you go.
To be useful , social interactions require a multi-sided conversation between at least 2 people
This is why it no longer works. Instead of a platform which encourages community interactions, posts act as standalone boasts which your network likes or ignores. Participation is at an all time low and this leads to issolation.
Instead of it fostering an open dialogue it has evolved to become a platform where people project thier unchanging biased views on other people, which acts as a cycle of reinforcement. There is no discussion, no conversation and no progress. There is an erosion of hope and an eradication of connection.
What could social media become if it migrated back to its roots
If it devolves from the stream of vitriol it has become and emerges in an educational guise where each participant gains value and insight. Where you are encouraged to participate in a conversation instead of being offered the opportunity to put your life on a pedestal.