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The effect of deactivating Facebook and Instagram on users' emotional state

(www.nber.org)
506 points imakwana | 15 comments | 21 Apr 25 04:24 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source | bottom
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8s2ngy ◴[21 Apr 25 05:47 UTC] No.43748792[source]▶
I believe many of the problems in our current social media landscape could be solved by eliminating the "feed" and instead displaying posts, updates, and pictures from friends, family, and those we know in real life. This approach might conflict with the profit models of big tech social media and could go against what most people have become accustomed to. Personally, I would love a smaller social network where I can stay connected with my school friends, college friends, and distant family without having to see irrelevant posts, like some stupid remark from a politician halfway around the world or influencers doing something outrageous just for attention.
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smelendez ◴[21 Apr 25 06:39 UTC] No.43748997[source]▶
This has moved heavily into group chats and I’m not sure it’s coming back.

Group chats are basically the Circles that Google+ saw the need for but could never get fully set up. A lot of people don’t want to share personal updates and photos to a broad swath of friends and acquaintances.

Meanwhile Instagram and Facebook keep evolving. Facebook is turning into a weird Reddit for older people. Instagram is turning into a hipper LinkedIn, where artists, musicians, and local businesses share career and business updates and advertise their wares.

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1. raffraffraff ◴[21 Apr 25 06:50 UTC] No.43749044[source]▶
Wife went cold turkey on social media and then had to join Instagram and LinkedIn for her business. Now she's addicted to Instagram.

No LinkedIn, not you, you boring Ted Talk humblebrag.

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2. blitzar ◴[21 Apr 25 07:44 UTC] No.43749322[source]▶
People love LinkedIn cringe on instagram and twitter - but on LinkedIn itself you have to confront the reality that these people, often colleagues / former colleagues etc. are being serious
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3. lazide ◴[21 Apr 25 07:57 UTC] No.43749397[source]▶
Well, serious in the same way cult members have to be serious.

If you crack and admit it’s fake, everything falls apart and it’s your fault. Expulsion out onto the street follows.

Even worse, now everyone else is going ‘how could you be so dumb to believe it’ and/or ‘you sure fucked up by admitting it was fake’ all at the same time.

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4. throwawee ◴[21 Apr 25 10:46 UTC] No.43750384{3}[source]▶
>now everyone else is going ‘how could you be so dumb to believe it’ and/or ‘you sure fucked up by admitting it was fake’ all at the same time.

Not necessarily mutually exclusive. It's like professional wrestling, stage magic, or politics. Some lies people really love.

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5. harvey9 ◴[21 Apr 25 11:12 UTC] No.43750580[source]▶
A comedy act called 'Wankernomics' just showed up in my YouTube recommendations. I thought about booking a ticket to their show but its too close to reality.
6. cmsj ◴[21 Apr 25 11:59 UTC] No.43750921[source]▶
I have made one post ever to LinkedIn and it was something I said as a joke in a 1-1 that I realised was perfect LinkedIn fodder. It did some pretty good numbers, and made me respect that site even less than I already did.
7. ethbr1 ◴[21 Apr 25 12:15 UTC] No.43751059{4}[source]▶
I do judge people who post thought leadership on LinkedIn about the same as people who are really into pro wrestling.
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8. lazide ◴[21 Apr 25 13:06 UTC] No.43751584{5}[source]▶
I bet you also tell the Mormons to take a hike when they come visit.
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9. iugtmkbdfil834 ◴[21 Apr 25 13:40 UTC] No.43751914{5}[source]▶
I mean.. if you go into with the right frame of mind, it is harmless. It is starts being an issue when you take it seriously and someone ends up with back broken in someone's backyard.
10. alabastervlog ◴[21 Apr 25 15:31 UTC] No.43753088[source]▶
> but on LinkedIn itself you have to confront the reality that these people, often colleagues / former colleagues etc. are being serious

I doubt many are being serious.

Business culture (at least in the US) is so steeped in lying and general fake-ness that in-group signaling as "real business person" involves public performances of bullshit.

It's what you're supposed to do in interviews: bullshit just the right way, to show you understand the game and are willing to debase yourself to play it. Otherwise you're "risky", either due to excessive commitment to ethical principles or to being too clueless or inept to play the game right. That's what's going on, on LinkedIn. "Humility" and "realness" even have to be faked just the right way.

It's incredibly gross.

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11. ethbr1 ◴[21 Apr 25 18:33 UTC] No.43754990{6}[source]▶
Honestly, I'm really nice to the LDS when they drop by.

My experience has been that Mormons are generally self-aware, polite, and willing the engage in interesting conversation.

In contrast, LinkedIn influencers' eyes glaze over whenever you try to dig into the details of what they're purporting to talk about. Because, ugh, nerd stuff that's beneath them.

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12. mrguyorama ◴[22 Apr 25 18:22 UTC] No.43764878{7}[source]▶
It's not because "nerd stuff that's beneath them" but because to a significant portion of the middle management class, the bullshit IS reality. The bullshit is how they get their job, how they function day to day, how they explain themselves to others, how they THINK about themselves etc.

It's much the same as the people who get books ghostwritten and say "I wrote a book". It doesn't matter if you understand someone else wrote it, if you say that in your head or out loud enough, your brain will treat it as reality and you will think it to be reality, and that will effect future thinking and feeling.

It doesn't matter if you are playing a character. Play it convincingly enough and it WILL bleed into your reality.

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13. doright ◴[23 Apr 25 19:23 UTC] No.43775749[source]▶
"The baby's gotta eat" is a very strong motivator for people to do somewhat cringe things in the name of their livelihoods and future. Including $50/year subscriptions for PDF reader apps (dead serious).
14. seec ◴[24 Apr 25 02:55 UTC] No.43778871{3}[source]▶
That's probably one reason that business degrades over time. With that type of "requirement" you can't get anyone worth a dam to work for you, past a certain point.
15. lazide ◴[25 Apr 25 09:52 UTC] No.43791915{8}[source]▶
yup, and some people are very insecure about this, and will try to destroy you if you ruin the illusion.