Technology, social media (sdf.org), 04/05/2019
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You hate social media, I hate social media, we in gopher
space love to hate on social media. It turns out that,
according to a poll[1], even folks outside of gopher hate
it[2]. I'm shocked.

According to the article, the poll claims that social media:

- does more to divide the country than unite it
- spreads falsehoods rather than news
- can't be trusted at all to protect personal information
- spreads unfair attacks and rumors against public figures
 and corporations
- wastes people's time

Once again, I'm flabbergasted, just beside myself.

Seriously though, none of the above list is news. Every one
of those statements is perfectly evenident to anyone with
reasonable cognitive skills. We all hate social media, we
all have excellent reasons for hating it.

The kicker (wait for it)... 7/10 people in the poll use
social media at least once a day, even though they hate it.

For a while, I was one of those 7/10 people. Thankfully, I'm
now one of the 3/10. In reality, I'm probably one of a much
smaller number of people that don't use it unless forced
(meaning, if a work client demands that I work on their
social media account.)

But let's talk about those 7/10 people. Why do they do it?
Because it feels good. They do it for a high. Humans will do
anything for a high. And on the other side of the equation,
social media generates gobs and gobs of money. those
peddling the drug do so for the money.

I'm going to draw an unpopular parallel, which is sure to
irk my fellow humans to no end: alcohol consumption. Is
alcohol poison? Certainly. Does it cause death and
destruction in large numbers? Sure. Is the wake of human
suffering enormous and far reaching? Yes. Do we want to get
rid of it? Absolutely not! And why? It provides a high, and
it provides gargantuan profits.

So the next time you/we dream of the downfall of social
media, we would do well to remember booze. Neither is going
anywhere.


[1] polls are bunk, but they're fun.
[2] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/poll-americans-give-social-media-clear-thumbs-down-n991086