The Social Dilemma

[Northendzone]

I thought it went on a little too long; however, I then laughed at the irony of that.

I struggle with the concept of controlling social media and someone somewhere deciding what is fake news.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

I watched it last night. It was OK. It didn't really tell us anything we don't already know and have seen a ton of messaging on, to be honest.

You knew about a precipitous increase in suicides among youth that correlates directly with the appearance of social media apps on smartphones?

Because I didn’t.

I stopped using Facebook and Twitter about four months ago. The physiological responses are extremely similar to quitting smoking, drinking or weed. I poke my head back in from time to time, and what do I see?

The same people having the same conversations about the same issues. It never changes.

I unfollowed 100 people to try and restore some order to my twitter feed - all that happened was the people I Continued to follow retweeted all those other people and liked all their stuff, so it’s like they never left.

These services are addictive, and they are drugs. I think there’s a very strong case to be made that social media sites are not to be used by minors. They seem to be quite literally killing children at alarming rate.

The question for me becomes this: if social media is a drug, is it

A) A drug you have a handle on.
B) A drug that you’re abusing.
C) A drug that is ruining your life.
D) A drug you want no part of.

D, final answer.

[Enoch Root]

It was slow and repetitive, sure. But the message was a good one that needs to be heard and discussed.

With respect to CP and other sites like this, they are very different because you are not directed to particular subjects or sites, you are free to read whatever topics you like. And the advertising isn't influencing which topics you choose.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

It was slow and repetitive, sure. But the message was a good one that needs to be heard and discussed.

With respect to CP and other sites like this, they are very different because you are not directed to particular subjects or sites, you are free to read whatever topics you like. And the advertising isn't influencing which topics you choose.

This is the thing.

On every other site, whether it’s Sportsnet, IMDB or Pornhub, you get to decide “okay. I want to look at some sports/movies/porn.”

You consume the content, and you leave.

You don’t go to ESPN.com to watch a video of a police shooting.

You don’t go to IMDB to catch up with Aunt Candice.

If the main board of CP had topics for cute cat videos, Instagram models who show their clams, and modded right-driving Japanese supercars, nobody would visit this site.

Social media is a bull#### way to consume content.

A well run message board is vastly better at doing the job social media companies purport to do.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

It is different. But you also need to recogize the ways in which it uses the same impulses to keep you coming back. You want to see who responded to your post, so you can respond to them, and on and on. If you're honest, you're often logging on without any particular goal, just to see what's being said, and consume what's on offer. While it isn't driven by an algorithm, it's still habit forming. I mean for Christ's sakes, we even have a "like" button next to every post.

Is it as bad as facebook and twitter, in terms of how it operates? Absolutely not. Are there still some troubling aspects of the vbulletin-style webforum to be conscious of while you use it? Definitely yes.