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We need a large scale movement against social media (in its current form)

First of all, let me preface my opinion by saying that, objectively, things have not been normal for at least 5-8 years now. We have seen an unbelievable rise in extremism, a huge cultural shift towards tribalism and divides within western societies at large at an unprecedented scale. I (and, as far as my research goes, many experts) strongly believe that social media has played a large role in the huge cultural and societal changes we have been experiencing over the last decade or so. Once you begin to think about how people used to interact and how everyday life was structured not long ago, the world we live in today seems like a grotesque distortion of what humans are actually like. This is because it is. Of course, the fact that our consumption of social media changes our behavior is not new to anyone, this is widely known, so…


First of all, let me preface my opinion by saying that, objectively, things have not been normal for at least 5-8 years now. We have seen an unbelievable rise in extremism, a huge cultural shift towards tribalism and divides within western societies at large at an unprecedented scale.

I (and, as far as my research goes, many experts) strongly believe that social media has played a large role in the huge cultural and societal changes we have been experiencing over the last decade or so.

Once you begin to think about how people used to interact and how everyday life was structured not long ago, the world we live in today seems like a grotesque distortion of what humans are actually like. This is because it is.

Of course, the fact that our consumption of social media changes our behavior is not new to anyone, this is widely known, so is the fact that social media has been radicalizing vulnerable groups to an extent and at a scale never imagined before. However, at least in my case, when I've thought about these facts in the past, I've mostly brushed it off as “those other people” going crazy, a response which I believe many people can relate to. However, even if you are one of the few people who are truly exempt from social media's influence over your personality and daily behavior, we humans are social creatures, so the effects that social media has had on our society impacts the lives of every single individual living in it.

I believe that what we need, completely independently from other political leanings, is a movement against social media. This issue is completely disconnected from which side of the political spectrum you place yourself upon; it is entirely about our joined experience as a social species. Social media will have an immense impact on the path mankind will take over the next centuries and until the end of time, it will not be un-invented ever again. Therefore, it is our responsibility as members of our species to come together and recognize a huge mistake when we've made one.

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