I deleted FB 15 years ago and haven't missed it once.
this post was submitted on 14 May 2024
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I (maybe, kinda) miss what Facebook was like in, er, 2008-ish. But then again I was also 25 so maybe I just miss what life was like back then.
I only miss it because Facebook Marketplace has killed Craigslist and I have some crap I need to sell
It's also real annoying when trying to look up business hours or a restaurant menu only to find all their links are to Facebook.
No, you didn't, it is still there! Facebook.com
Not being stuck inside of an echo chamber really does wonders for the brain. And yes, I know the irony of saying this on Lemmy, but it's true.
Echo chambers are a lot easier to recognize and ignore when they aren't filled with your friends and family.
Lemmy isn't really an echo chamber. It's like saying going over to a friends place is an echo chamber because you and your friend get along. There's nothing wrong with hanging out with people who share your values and beliefs.
The problem with social media are their algorithms. They aren't designed to connect you with like-minded people, but to keep you engaged. The content that keeps people engaged tends to be terrible content.
The recent "a man or a bear" trend is a perfect example. Algorithms love divisive content like that because it drives engagement, but it also leads to people getting really upset over nothing. Lemmy doesn't have any algorithms driving engagement so it doesn't have that problem.
I strongly disagree.
I don't think lemmy is necessarily an echochamber per se, rather its just a place where misinformation exists and opinions are manipulated.
Lemmy does use algorithms to show you the most engaging content, and there are absolutely bots and bad actors manipulating which content is prioritised.
The genocide Joe / vote abstinence thing was a very clear example.
I wish I could get my parents to unplug from Fox for a while
Parental controls on the cable/satellite box are a two-way street, IMO. 🤷🏻♂️
Parent control
I've seen like 7 people share this meme on Facebook about Netflix stock "tumbling" after donating to Harris. The ease with which people can be manipulated is absolutely terrifying. Like type "netflix stock" into the browser where you saw this and BOOM FACT CHECKED but they just accept internet memes as gospel and spread them accordingly.
Platforms like Facebook have an incredible hold on some people. I remember a few years ago when the "Momo" hoax happened, an older coworker arrived at the office and started warning us about the danger of "Momo" they'd seen on Facebook. I'd already heard about the hoax (and was aware of the original creepyasta origins), and brought up a few news articles explaining it, including an official statement from the police. Everyone seemed satisfied by the truth, except for the Facebook addict. They just gave me a blank stare, and a few hours later I heard them telling another group of colleagues to beware of "Momo" getting to their children.
I have family members and longstanding family friends who have succumbed to this. Interestingly almost all of them were decrying the internet as something that couldn't be trusted before the age of social media.
My mom was permabanned from Facebook in 2020 for constantly posting anti-vax nonsense so she just went to places like Gab and Parlor. 😑
I still don't think this would save my mom from whichever TV source she watches, Fox News, News Max, or OAN.
disconnecting lowers users political participation and also their propensity to believe misinformation
OP buried the wider point: People gotta be completely brainwashed and delusional to believe in political participation.