Are we all just being manipulated by media to buy products and to further social divide?
I have seen videos about Facebook making incredible amounts of money by allowing bots to make content for us to consume ads and instigate hate and fear so they can keep selling stuff. It is a devious plot to keep us engaged so we will continue to watch and click. We live in an era in which the masses are knowingly manipulated and no one seems to care. The manipulation of public opinion over social media platforms has emerged as a critical threat to public life. Around the world, government agencies and political parties are exploiting social media platforms to spread junk news and disinformation, exercise censorship and control. Does anyone else think that social media is helping to fuel a narcissistic and materialistic world?
So I'm aware that this is not an original thought but it has been on my mind lately and wanted to get some feedback and opinions from others. Since last week I decided to stay off of facebook (my only social media account other than reddit) because I felt like it was messing with my mental state. For years I would just scroll through and compare myself and my life to others that I saw on facebook. It seemed like everyone was always doing great things or going on a fun vacation but the reality is that people only post what they want you to see. If you constantly compare yourself and your life to others then you will never truly be happy and it seems like nowadays everyone just cares about themselves and what they own and real joy comes from none of that. Seems like so many people are trying to be the best looking, the most popular, have the most amount of money and power but the truth is most people never achieve any of that and even if you do, you always want more or once you get comfortable/used to having those things you go back to feeling how you were before you had those things. To me it just feels like the world has forgotten how to be thankful for what they do have and how to be compassionate and kind to others which is where I think true happiness comes from. I've been dealing with negative feelings lately which made me start thinking about why I was feeling the way I was and this is apart of the conclusion I came to. Just felt like venting a little and having a casual conversation with some of you redditors. Would enjoy to hear some of your thoughts on the topic. Social media will become uncool in the next 5 years
Everything is cyclical. I am already getting the sense that younger kids, 13 and under, are less interested in sharing, only because the two generations before them, Millennial and Z, are consumed by it. Social media is not untouchable. It’s a fad like JNCO or skinny jeans. It can become uncool within 20 years.
So I'm aware that this is not an original thought but it has been on my mind lately and wanted to get some feedback and opinions from others. Since last week I decided to stay off of facebook (my only social media account other than reddit) because I felt like it was messing with my mental state. For years I would just scroll through and compare myself and my life to others that I saw on facebook. It seemed like everyone was always doing great things or going on a fun vacation but the reality is that people only post what they want you to see. If you constantly compare yourself and your life to others then you will never truly be happy and it seems like nowadays everyone just cares about themselves and what they own and real joy comes from none of that. Seems like so many people are trying to be the best looking, the most popular, have the most amount of money and power but the truth is most people never achieve any of that and even if you do, you always want more or once you get comfortable/used to having those things you go back to feeling how you were before you had those things. To me it just feels like the world has forgotten how to be thankful for what they do have and how to be compassionate and kind to others which is where I think true happiness comes from. I've been dealing with negative feelings lately which made me start thinking about why I was feeling the way I was and this is apart of the conclusion I came to. Just felt like venting a little and having a casual conversation with some of you redditors. Would enjoy to hear some of your thoughts on the topic. Social media will become uncool in the next 5 years
Everything is cyclical. I am already getting the sense that younger kids, 13 and under, are less interested in sharing, only because the two generations before them, Millennial and Z, are consumed by it. Social media is not untouchable. It’s a fad like JNCO or skinny jeans. It can become uncool within 20 years.
