- cross-posted to:
- fediverse@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- fediverse@lemmy.world
It became the only reliable source of information I had. People posted links with a minimal amount of commentary, picking and choosing the best content from other social media networks. They’re not doing it to “build a brand” because that’s not a thing in the Fediverse. It’s too disjointed to be a place to build a newsletter subscription base.
I really would like to somehow convince more people to adopt the idea that, like, Facebook and friends are run by bad people and you can choose not to use their products. Just stop. Find another way. Be uncomfortable for a little while.
But people aren’t up to the challenge.
I wouldn’t say it’s “not up to the challenge” insomuch that like when you want to convince someone to not use Chrome, you’re running into the problem that you have to create a framework under which the amount of problem Chrome can be can actually be measured/registered.
People always assume “Yeah but the average user doesn’t care”, but never truly read that line and realize what it implies.
It’s not that my mum opens Chrome, sees that it’s 74/100 on the problematic-software-you-shouldn’t-use-scale, and then decided to use it anyways.
She opens it. That’s it. It ends there.
There is no “This is a 74/100 problem”.
There is no problematic-software-you-shouldn’t-use-scale.
There is no scale.
There isn’t even the conceptual idea for it, and hence no reason or impetus to ever internally have such a scale.
And now comes an important question: Why? Or rather, why not?
And the answer is both easier and also impossibly harder than most of us trying to convince others would want to accept: Because it doesn’t matter.
To my mum, she couldn’t give a flying fuck what others think about Chrome, she wants to open a web page. She has actual problems in her actual life, she doesn’t care a rat’s arse what the tiny computer she looks up the weather and contacts her kids on does to allow her to do that internally. She’s worried about her health, about her colon surgery healing or about her mum (my grandma is 93) having fallen down.
Well, yes, “why don’t you care about things?” is a timeless problem. People don’t like to see beyond the immediate. Probably because in pre-history, the creatures that focused on right now did better than the ones who went “but if we keep cutting down the trees, eventually it’s going to cause problems.”
Well, now we have many problems, and our brains have not advanced.
People are fucking addicted to instagram and I’m the annoying “get rid of that shit” preacher to everyone I can. My gf has reduced her usage, but still checks it from time to time.
I always ask “Do you really need to use it?” - and almost always, their answer is “not really, but it’s the only place I can find X”. Some of my gf’s friends use it to find new places to go. Some of my boardgaming friends still use it, mostly to “know what events are coming up” or what new games are being released.
Instagram is essentially this age’s yellow pages of a telephone list, small businesses are super dependent on it and they’re forced to post fucking stories everyday or get erased by the algorithm
It’s one of those self fueling problems. Businesses post on Instagram because people go there, and people go there in part because that’s where they found out about businesses doing stuff.
Better options are possible, but the big money is backing this hell. Less money to be made from RSS feeds , web rings, and email newsletters.
I don’t use any social media other than this. I find out about bands I like playing from their email lists or bandsintown. I’m on a couple “things happening in the city” email newsletters. It doesn’t demand my attention.
I also wish they would, but ive realized a lot of people have no self control or discipline. I guess I do because of some challanges during my life. But for most people, its difficult to even stop eating unhealthy food, and thats not even difficult. :)
It is if you are poor. Healthy food costs more than junk, in the short-term.
Ah yes, didnt think about that. I dont blame any poor people for doing what they need to survive. I would steal food and do what is required if I needed to.
That’s not even difficult? Get out more, man.
I dont think its difficult. Nobody has a gun to my head forcing me to do it.
Difficult things in life are things like being permanently sick, disabled, being poor, being ugly, being bullied, being with a toxic partner, having a toxic boss etc.
But not eating unhealthy food, thats not difficult. Unless you are poor, like someone said above. Then its difficult because you cant choose something else.