[secede] -- social media
At its core, social media is an attempt to scale something that cannot scale. Humans cannot have authentic communication with thousands of people. Attempting to do so through likes, comments, and emojis trivializes real world relationships and encourages the thoughtless parroting of whatever words and phrases are popular in our demographic today. The relentless fixation on “engagement” metrics has deceived billions into thinking that fame is the summum bonum. It is impossible to craft a life of significance by catering to the whims of anonymous strangers.
The other great cost of social media is loss of time and focus. All worthwhile tasks require persistence and mental fortitude. If we are constantly immersed in an artificial world, we lose the drive to achieve things in the real world.
Social media is free because *we are the product*. Our data is valuable, and people want to harvest it. All of its putative benefits — messaging, seeing pictures of family, buying and selling in marketplaces, (approved!) political organizations, etc. — can be achieved by other, more ethical, means. Anyone who proclaims a love for freedom but uses platforms that stifle independent thought is a hypocrite.