This is the fault of social media. I encourage all of you to get off of it and let these people follow you when they realize how everyone else is leaving.
That's bullshit, IMO. You can own anything you want and live responsibly. If you only live to show what you own, or derive your self worth from your possessions, then yeah it's going to eat your soul.
But if you're grounded in who you are no matter what your socio-economic status, or internet notoriety, or how many "likes" you get or whatever, then your possessions are just things you collect that can either bring you joy or go away with no serious impact.
The parents are also to blame but I think we've basically molded our culture into an attention seeking mini-celeb lifestyle through the use of social media. The parents follow it and pass it down to their kids. The whole thing is disgusting.
That is true, but at the moment a large segment of the population don't even see it as a problem. We need to be good parents but also attack this at a cultural level.
I dominate the culture in my home. Communism may not be suitable for a government but it's perfectly suited to a single family household. My home's firewall is more impressive than China's.
I'm all for reversing course on the nation's culture, but I won't put the blame elsewhere for what happens in my home.
I have a neighbor who is generally pretty based, but they joke all the time about their daughter and how they need to keep her "off the pole" because of how she messes around on Facebook chat showing her butt, etc to her friends.
Now, their daughter is very little, so obviously it's innocent from her perspective, but I always feel a little twinge when they joke about that. I just want to tell them to take the fucking ipad from her and get off facebook chat! Literally nothing good will come of that, but they're facebook addicts and won't listen.
Every once in a while I can hear the facebook narratives shit out of their mouths in spite of their usual tendency toward being pretty based and it just crawls up my spine.
Yep. They will joke it into existence. I know there is a lot of love for the show It's Always Sunny... besides the fact that Danny Devito has always made my skin crawl, that stupid fucking toll troll song is reprehensible. I will not quote the words. I banned that bullshit show in my house long ago and any overly sexual jokes are always admonished. Some things just aren't funny.
at the moment a large segment of the population don't even see it as a problem
They not only don't see it as a problem, they see it as an "opportunity" in more ways than one. This is how I picture the last frame of that picture: https://i.imgur.com/IqnkJDq.jpg
Like what's that even mean "attack it at a cultural level" that sounds exactly like the made up shit I hear everyday on Daily Blast Live (my coworker watches it every day for some reason so I'm along for the ride)
There are way too many Disney mom's out there who don't discipline their kids (especially young women) as a protest against slut shaming. When young girls wear clothes like prostitutes they are okayed and encouraged by the parents who think it's beautiful and brave.
How did you overcome your social media addiction and did you ever feel isolated from your friends/family when you quit? If so how do you prevent that loneliness/boredom
Not OP but I am a pede with a super addictive personality so I’ll drop some wisdom on you.
We get addicted to things that help us escape from reality. So we need to make real life better.
However you are not always going to be in control of making that change. Sometimes that opportunity will come later. Make as many opportunities as you can, but if you can’t it is better to exchange one addiction for another. Some addictions are time wasters, but some are downright harmful. It would be better to exchange a harmful addiction for a time waster.
As an example, video games are one of the many things I’m addicted to. Playing videos games wastes time. However social media is incredibly toxic to your psychology. It is better to waste some of your time than develop huge psychological issues.
I got rid (completely) of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIN (especially that) and Reddit. The latter wasn't under my real name anyway, but still.
Facebook was the first to go, I realized that all it did was make me hate everyone. I was sick of peering into the worst parts of people's psyche, including family and friends and neighbors. I had enough of it. This "myth" that you will feel isolated, etc is the EXACT SAME FEELING an addict feels when they entertain the notion of quitting their drug. They ask themselves "well if I don't get high, what am I going to do with myself?" It's a stupid thought when you're not addicted, but that's literally the very nature of addiction. It's that little voice inside your head that keeps you using it and when you threaten it, it tries to convince you to keep using.
So no, nothing will happen, you will not miss out on anything. If you need to "keep in touch" you can do it. I can't tell you how many times I've been in a conversation with people and they bring up some "event" that happened on social media, like an argument on a neighborhood page or something stupid like that, and I listen and then when they address me, I say "I don't know, I don't use Facebook". They can't process it and it feels SO GOOD I wish I could bottle the feeling of shame that comes from them being confronted about their stupid addiction. They feel weak in my presence.
Loneliness and boredom COMES from your social media addiction, it creates a feeling of isolation and it's like how saccharine tricks your brain into thinking it's getting a reward, but its false and just leaves you wanting the real thing.
Be strong and dump it all in one shot. Don't make a "swan song" goodbye and wait for people to react. Don't say a word. Just dump it, delete all your profiles, and delete it from your life in one silent shot.
One of the things that helps the most (especially in COVID days and in keeping up with geographically distant friends) is having long phone calls with close friends. I feel less isolated now than when I was addicted to social media.
Social media isn't just a raw collection of people, it's very specifically built and operated toward the purpose of encouraging people to open up a direct conduit between their Id and their thumbs. It's designed down to the last pixel to engage that part of your brain, from the colors to the UX to backend algorithms and manual management.
It is as addictive as any drug and twice as hard to quit. Take it from me, the ONLY thing even REMOTELY close to social media I use is this site and honestly I feel bad about how much I'm here.
I ditched Twitter most recently and outside of coming on here for discussion I'm done with social media. I don't think I was ever much of a participant in any of them outside of Reddit. I text with friends and family I know personally and that's it. Good old school texting. I grew up in the "anonymous forum" internet like this site and that's the only environment I ever wanted to talk in anyway. I have an extremely unique name, meaning if you were to have my first and last name you are highly likely to be able to find me--so that might be a big reason I was always reluctant.
Don't miss it at all. I'm supposed to be of the "connected" generation and I can and have gone days without my phone. It's a great feeling learning to disconnect. Understanding that if the phone rings or you get a message--you are allowed to ignore it. Yes, I still spend a lot of time online but it's a totally different feeling of freedom when you're the master in that relationship.
Social media is fine. Just unfollow people who over sexualize themselves, glorify promiscuity, glorify profanity, glorify their misbehaving toddlers as "cute/funny" and associate with normal people
Social media, in addition to being mental poison, is also nothing but a MASSIVE attack vector. You are giving potential attackers a HUGE vulnerability by having your name and literally any kind of info about you available.
This is where LinkedIn is the most dangerous of all social media publishers. You are putting your name, your employer, your specialties, your education, your employment history, your coworkers names, your residential history and on and on and on. Then you combine that with Facebook where you have your hometown, your demographics, your granular info on your entire social connections, your likes, your dislikes, your opinions, your politics, your family and for some insane people, your direct contact information!
WHY ON GODS GREEN FUCKING EARTH WOULD YOU EXPOSE YOURSELF LIKE THAT TO THE INTERNET, PEOPLE?!! ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?!!
Become a ghost on the internet, no trace. When someone wants to find you they get nothing. When someone wants to destroy you they have no ammo. 99% of the time if there's no public scalp to take, they will not even bother.
LinkedIn is a bit different, as long as you do not engage in it for social purposes.
You put your stuff up, polish it a bit, then leave it alone. You go sniffing there when you want or need a new job, or look at the occasional recruiter trying to bug you to go work for someone else, but that's about it.
Anyone who uses LinkedIn as a social platform to wave their ass on (especially for political reasons) is an idiot.
Agreed. My husband was from France. Our daughter and I never met his French relatives before he died of lung cancer. We are able to stay in contact with them through Facebook and it's translation feature. Social media, like real life friendships, is all in what you make it.
Yeah you're right. I just think the attention seeking nature of it has exacerbated the problem. It seems like more men on it become more woman-like (wanting attention) and more women on it become sluttier (due to the overwhelming response).
The feminizing of our nation and culture has been an ongoing problem for decades now. Feminists love the term "toxic masculinity" and they use it to describe everything toxic. Meanwhile, the female traits that get amplified are all the undesirable ones.
It happened to my best friend in junior high / high school’s little sister. Her mom thought it was so funny when she would strut to Britney Spears, 2003 rolls around, the girl is 14, and, well.
Social media is full of bots. Some new ones have these artificial followers and replies for every new user, making it seem like you're popular and a lot of people are checking up on you, but in fact those are all bots.
This is the fault of social media. I encourage all of you to get off of it and let these people follow you when they realize how everyone else is leaving.
It's the fault of the parents. Nobody else. And so long as we aren't willing to put the blame where it rightfully belongs the problem will continue
Yep. If you let the TV and computer raise your children, then you shouldn't be surprised when your children grow up to be degenerates.
Agreed. The things you own end up owning you.
That's bullshit, IMO. You can own anything you want and live responsibly. If you only live to show what you own, or derive your self worth from your possessions, then yeah it's going to eat your soul.
But if you're grounded in who you are no matter what your socio-economic status, or internet notoriety, or how many "likes" you get or whatever, then your possessions are just things you collect that can either bring you joy or go away with no serious impact.
Which is why I am a minimalist
The parents are also to blame but I think we've basically molded our culture into an attention seeking mini-celeb lifestyle through the use of social media. The parents follow it and pass it down to their kids. The whole thing is disgusting.
That is true, but at the moment a large segment of the population don't even see it as a problem. We need to be good parents but also attack this at a cultural level.
I dominate the culture in my home. Communism may not be suitable for a government but it's perfectly suited to a single family household. My home's firewall is more impressive than China's.
I'm all for reversing course on the nation's culture, but I won't put the blame elsewhere for what happens in my home.
I taught my kids to listen very carefully to advertising and political speech. I figured they would hear it, anyway.
I have a neighbor who is generally pretty based, but they joke all the time about their daughter and how they need to keep her "off the pole" because of how she messes around on Facebook chat showing her butt, etc to her friends.
Now, their daughter is very little, so obviously it's innocent from her perspective, but I always feel a little twinge when they joke about that. I just want to tell them to take the fucking ipad from her and get off facebook chat! Literally nothing good will come of that, but they're facebook addicts and won't listen.
Every once in a while I can hear the facebook narratives shit out of their mouths in spite of their usual tendency toward being pretty based and it just crawls up my spine.
Thank God I'm off that poison!
Yep. They will joke it into existence. I know there is a lot of love for the show It's Always Sunny... besides the fact that Danny Devito has always made my skin crawl, that stupid fucking toll troll song is reprehensible. I will not quote the words. I banned that bullshit show in my house long ago and any overly sexual jokes are always admonished. Some things just aren't funny.
Chris Rock does that "keep my daughter off the pole" line in his stand-up routine.
It always seemed like a euphemism for something worse when he said it.
Nah, they won't get any of that money. Planned Parenthood will sell the parts without telling them and keep the money for themselves.
Like what's that even mean "attack it at a cultural level" that sounds exactly like the made up shit I hear everyday on Daily Blast Live (my coworker watches it every day for some reason so I'm along for the ride)
There are way too many Disney mom's out there who don't discipline their kids (especially young women) as a protest against slut shaming. When young girls wear clothes like prostitutes they are okayed and encouraged by the parents who think it's beautiful and brave.
Disney.
The single moms who demonize men and want to be the “cool friend” to their kid
Social media is inanimate. It's people's faults for participating and obsessing.
I used to be big into social media. Once I realized what I was becoming, I started dropping redpills, knowing I was quitting.
Once I finally quit, I moved to reddit. You know the rest.
Now, this is as "social media" as I get.
A couple questions for you
How did you overcome your social media addiction and did you ever feel isolated from your friends/family when you quit? If so how do you prevent that loneliness/boredom
Not OP but I am a pede with a super addictive personality so I’ll drop some wisdom on you.
We get addicted to things that help us escape from reality. So we need to make real life better.
However you are not always going to be in control of making that change. Sometimes that opportunity will come later. Make as many opportunities as you can, but if you can’t it is better to exchange one addiction for another. Some addictions are time wasters, but some are downright harmful. It would be better to exchange a harmful addiction for a time waster.
As an example, video games are one of the many things I’m addicted to. Playing videos games wastes time. However social media is incredibly toxic to your psychology. It is better to waste some of your time than develop huge psychological issues.
I’m addicted to German sports cars and German Guns. Picked up my 2nd hk p7 yesterday. Also addicted to my wife
Salvation through Jesus Christ. And sobriety.
Yes, I used to get lonely, but I'm married now to a wonderful woman I met at church.
I got rid (completely) of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIN (especially that) and Reddit. The latter wasn't under my real name anyway, but still.
Facebook was the first to go, I realized that all it did was make me hate everyone. I was sick of peering into the worst parts of people's psyche, including family and friends and neighbors. I had enough of it. This "myth" that you will feel isolated, etc is the EXACT SAME FEELING an addict feels when they entertain the notion of quitting their drug. They ask themselves "well if I don't get high, what am I going to do with myself?" It's a stupid thought when you're not addicted, but that's literally the very nature of addiction. It's that little voice inside your head that keeps you using it and when you threaten it, it tries to convince you to keep using.
So no, nothing will happen, you will not miss out on anything. If you need to "keep in touch" you can do it. I can't tell you how many times I've been in a conversation with people and they bring up some "event" that happened on social media, like an argument on a neighborhood page or something stupid like that, and I listen and then when they address me, I say "I don't know, I don't use Facebook". They can't process it and it feels SO GOOD I wish I could bottle the feeling of shame that comes from them being confronted about their stupid addiction. They feel weak in my presence.
Loneliness and boredom COMES from your social media addiction, it creates a feeling of isolation and it's like how saccharine tricks your brain into thinking it's getting a reward, but its false and just leaves you wanting the real thing.
Be strong and dump it all in one shot. Don't make a "swan song" goodbye and wait for people to react. Don't say a word. Just dump it, delete all your profiles, and delete it from your life in one silent shot.
Then the world opens up to you.
What do you do with the time that you would have normally spent on Facebook
One of the things that helps the most (especially in COVID days and in keeping up with geographically distant friends) is having long phone calls with close friends. I feel less isolated now than when I was addicted to social media.
I beg to differ. The nation was never like this before social media. Here we are seeing its effects.
Social media isn't just a raw collection of people, it's very specifically built and operated toward the purpose of encouraging people to open up a direct conduit between their Id and their thumbs. It's designed down to the last pixel to engage that part of your brain, from the colors to the UX to backend algorithms and manual management.
It is as addictive as any drug and twice as hard to quit. Take it from me, the ONLY thing even REMOTELY close to social media I use is this site and honestly I feel bad about how much I'm here.
I ditched Twitter most recently and outside of coming on here for discussion I'm done with social media. I don't think I was ever much of a participant in any of them outside of Reddit. I text with friends and family I know personally and that's it. Good old school texting. I grew up in the "anonymous forum" internet like this site and that's the only environment I ever wanted to talk in anyway. I have an extremely unique name, meaning if you were to have my first and last name you are highly likely to be able to find me--so that might be a big reason I was always reluctant.
Don't miss it at all. I'm supposed to be of the "connected" generation and I can and have gone days without my phone. It's a great feeling learning to disconnect. Understanding that if the phone rings or you get a message--you are allowed to ignore it. Yes, I still spend a lot of time online but it's a totally different feeling of freedom when you're the master in that relationship.
Social media is fine. Just unfollow people who over sexualize themselves, glorify promiscuity, glorify profanity, glorify their misbehaving toddlers as "cute/funny" and associate with normal people
Social media, in addition to being mental poison, is also nothing but a MASSIVE attack vector. You are giving potential attackers a HUGE vulnerability by having your name and literally any kind of info about you available.
This is where LinkedIn is the most dangerous of all social media publishers. You are putting your name, your employer, your specialties, your education, your employment history, your coworkers names, your residential history and on and on and on. Then you combine that with Facebook where you have your hometown, your demographics, your granular info on your entire social connections, your likes, your dislikes, your opinions, your politics, your family and for some insane people, your direct contact information!
WHY ON GODS GREEN FUCKING EARTH WOULD YOU EXPOSE YOURSELF LIKE THAT TO THE INTERNET, PEOPLE?!! ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?!!
Become a ghost on the internet, no trace. When someone wants to find you they get nothing. When someone wants to destroy you they have no ammo. 99% of the time if there's no public scalp to take, they will not even bother.
Yeah, but if you do it safely. I.e. private facebook with limited personal information and selective friends.
LinkedIn is a bit different, as long as you do not engage in it for social purposes.
You put your stuff up, polish it a bit, then leave it alone. You go sniffing there when you want or need a new job, or look at the occasional recruiter trying to bug you to go work for someone else, but that's about it.
Anyone who uses LinkedIn as a social platform to wave their ass on (especially for political reasons) is an idiot.
Agreed. My husband was from France. Our daughter and I never met his French relatives before he died of lung cancer. We are able to stay in contact with them through Facebook and it's translation feature. Social media, like real life friendships, is all in what you make it.
This existed long before social media. I witnessed it in the very early 2000’s.
Yeah you're right. I just think the attention seeking nature of it has exacerbated the problem. It seems like more men on it become more woman-like (wanting attention) and more women on it become sluttier (due to the overwhelming response).
The feminizing of our nation and culture has been an ongoing problem for decades now. Feminists love the term "toxic masculinity" and they use it to describe everything toxic. Meanwhile, the female traits that get amplified are all the undesirable ones.
Any particular ancedote(s)?
It happened to my best friend in junior high / high school’s little sister. Her mom thought it was so funny when she would strut to Britney Spears, 2003 rolls around, the girl is 14, and, well.
Boom boom pow.
Wonder if she had it murdered or what was ultimately decided.
Wonder why we both got downvotes, too. Sad.
Social media is full of bots. Some new ones have these artificial followers and replies for every new user, making it seem like you're popular and a lot of people are checking up on you, but in fact those are all bots.
Twitter is the worst for bots, in my experience.
I can’t get off Facebook. I would if I could, but I already deleted my account several years ago.