Is social media more like cigarettes or junk food?
62 comments
·January 23, 2025nthingtohide
RamblingCTO
I do that heavily. Still, instagram decides to nuke my preferences quite often. Right now I'm on tik tok garbage, two weeks ago I had arabic muslim stuff (like videos in mosques, prayers etc). I don't use it at all when that happens, so they loose out. Give me trail running and outdoor shit and I'm happy, very easy!
crackercrews
Some platforms don't pay much attention to these instructions. LinkedIn is impervious to my suggestions.
nelox
It's more like gambling
null
williamjinq
I think most of the people overemphasize the harmness of social media.
I actually find connecting with my real-life friends a meaningful and satisfying experience.
But things are getting worse once I started to follow influencers and those I don't know in my real life.
theshrike79
More and more social media sites don't let you just follow "your friends".
They start automatically shoving suggested accounts in your face along with ads. On Instagram and FB both every 3rd or 4th post is a "suggested page". Also the algorithm has deemed that I don't need to get posts from the actual real people I follow unless I specifically go to their pages to see.
dailykoder
This. Old Facebook was okay. Planing parties with friends, connecting with people you haven't seen in years and so forth. But when I noticed they put suggested posts in my feed and just hiding posts from friends, it wasn't worth the time anymore. Also lot of other problems (showing off how good your life is to get likes and so forth. Just a lot of tiny issues)
nwhnwh
Did you read any books about it?
ErigmolCt
Was not able to read fully but I think it is something that combines elements of both. It’s designed to be addictive and also its effects depend heavily on how it’s consumed
addicted
All of the above.
Here are some key factors driving social media. The misincentives are obvious once you clearly see these.
1. It is fundamentally based on one of the strongest human impulses of community. 2. The economic model of social media is based on ads, which means they need to keep you on their platforms as long as possible. 3. They have vast troves of public, private, social and secret information on individuals. 4. They can modify their product every millisecond to adjust the product you experience based on all the factors above.
rpmisms
Depends. I have quit social media, cigarettes, and nicotine at large. Nicotine was the easiest, cigarettes the hardest.
pjerem
Ironically (pure) nicotine is not that bad for the health, it’s just really addictive so it have been added to cigarettes for just this.
It can even have some good benefits if you are chronically stressed. I wonder if it could be an alternative to benzodiazepines for occasional use.
I never took nicotine so I don’t know how quick the addiction would come. With benzodiazepines it’s a really hard addiction but not if you take it once in a while.
rpmisms
The problem with nicotine is the instant effect. If you use patches, the take up and let down is so slow as to not be noticed. Inhalation is much more addictive. Quitting is actually super easy, just a couple days of irritability. YMMV. If you want to try nicotine, anything but oral/lingual is ideal.
ggm
Can't use social media as money in Jail. It's not like cigarettes, ramen or condoms.
sturza
Junk cigarettes - it has the addictive quality of nicotine.
lencastre
I know DSM V, what is the ICD 10?
lmpdev
Broader scope than DSM
Administrated by WHO
tbrownaw
Billing codes for doctors.
killerpopiller
a catalogue for diseases
throwup238
Insane Clown Disease?
nwhnwh
Technofeudalism
null
Do people not actively curate what they like? E.g. using more of "Not Interested". I generally follow artists because they have great taste. I am very religous in disliking if a particular post is not benefitting me in consuming it.