Mastodon was specifically designed to be less addictive than xitter.
Lemmy is a lot like the old Reddit. In the current version of Reddit, there is an algorithm that fills your feed with stupid nonsense that is apparently very popular among the majority. I guess that makes it even more addictive than what it was long ago.
Anyway, comparing modern social media with drugs isn’t far fetched.
Soo… is that like newest on top and oldest at the bottom or which way does it go?
Anyway, my Madtodon feed is really boring. I don’t really care enough about anyone, so there’s usually nothing worth reading. Following hashtags is a bit nicer, but definitely not addictive in the least. Hence, I don’t really use that account for anything. About once a month I take a look at what’s going on, come to the same conclusion as always, and close the app. Well done Mastodon!
There is no one behind the scenes trying to make Lemmy more addictive like seen at other major social media giants where employees openly talk about being like drug dealers.
Lemmy is also not using algorithms to push political content or advertising. While these both exist on Lemmy, no one is being paid to push these into your feed.
Anything can be addictive, but the defining feature is causing problems in your daily activities of life. I have yet to hear about Lemmy causing this issue but I have seen this on other platforms such as FB, Snap, Insta, X, etc.
I certainly do use Lemmy every day, so it’s definitely attractive. It doesn’t seem to be causing any harm yet, so I guess it’s still far from being addictive in the technical sense of the word.
Just remembered that Reddit has streaks and achievements now. Could you call that a dark pattern? Either way, it’s definitely manipulating the users into spending more time on Reddit than they otherwise would, and that’s the first step towards addiction. IMO that sort of thing is clearly unethical and pretty dark in general. By contrast, Lemmy doesn’t have that sort of “engagement enhancing” corporate cancer.
Mastodon was specifically designed to be less addictive than xitter.
Lemmy is a lot like the old Reddit. In the current version of Reddit, there is an algorithm that fills your feed with stupid nonsense that is apparently very popular among the majority. I guess that makes it even more addictive than what it was long ago.
Anyway, comparing modern social media with drugs isn’t far fetched.
Reverse chronological is second best to synchronous social media.
Soo… is that like newest on top and oldest at the bottom or which way does it go?
Anyway, my Madtodon feed is really boring. I don’t really care enough about anyone, so there’s usually nothing worth reading. Following hashtags is a bit nicer, but definitely not addictive in the least. Hence, I don’t really use that account for anything. About once a month I take a look at what’s going on, come to the same conclusion as always, and close the app. Well done Mastodon!
Boring is the point.
This is how Twitter use to be. And it was how Twitter could be with third party apps until Musk killed them.
Who gets addicted to Mastodon lol
Can confirm. Those design choices are working.
I love that this place still thinks it’s any different than Reddit.
The algorithm changes little.
The algorithm is the problem. Lemmy is like coke after they removed the cocaine. It’s good, but it’s not nearly as addictive.
Actually, it’s a heuristic.
👌👍
I would love for you to expand on this
The fundamentals are still the same, so in that sense you’re absolutely correct.
There are major differences that make Lemmy better though.
Sure sounds like addictive features to me
There is no one behind the scenes trying to make Lemmy more addictive like seen at other major social media giants where employees openly talk about being like drug dealers.
Lemmy is also not using algorithms to push political content or advertising. While these both exist on Lemmy, no one is being paid to push these into your feed.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/22/were-basically-pushers-court-filings-allege-staff-at-social-media-giants-compared-their-platforms-to-drugs-00666181
https://counterhate.com/blog/what-are-algorithms-and-how-do-they-make-social-media-more-harmful/
Anything can be addictive, but the defining feature is causing problems in your daily activities of life. I have yet to hear about Lemmy causing this issue but I have seen this on other platforms such as FB, Snap, Insta, X, etc.
I certainly do use Lemmy every day, so it’s definitely attractive. It doesn’t seem to be causing any harm yet, so I guess it’s still far from being addictive in the technical sense of the word.
Just remembered that Reddit has streaks and achievements now. Could you call that a dark pattern? Either way, it’s definitely manipulating the users into spending more time on Reddit than they otherwise would, and that’s the first step towards addiction. IMO that sort of thing is clearly unethical and pretty dark in general. By contrast, Lemmy doesn’t have that sort of “engagement enhancing” corporate cancer.