Has social Media destroyed the fabric of human civilisation?

When the internet and mobile phones was first brought in to commonplace usage 40 years ago, questions were raised about who is being even allowed any access to these technologies back then, aside from the costs of obtaining the relevant equipment and some people had even devised a licence system back then to encourage responsible use - many decades later, aside from censorship, the proposed digital ID scheme appears to be fulfilling a similar purpose, yet with the added complication that so many people are now totally dependent on these technologies to live, in so many ways, but the current safeguards on social media are not sufficient 

Social media is largely unregulated and unmoderated. This is why it is so terrible at times.

When everyone has the freedom to say anything, with little fear of it being moderated, then social media becomes a Wild West and is destructive.

Large and lucrative social media platforms will never spend the money required to make sure that disinformation isn't prevalent.

Yes, the commotion in Southport, over the stabbings, I take it.

I was shocked to hear this evening of events triggered by misinformation via social media. That is one of the most concerning things.

You're from wrongplanet, aren't you?. I think i've seen you post there some years back. You're like in your 70's am i correct? Hello, nice to meet you, if thats the case. I think I've even saw your photo once.

Social media isn't perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. But it's also nowhere near as bad as some make it out to be. As  an almost housebound autistic person with zero friends IRL, it  keeps me in touch with what's happening in the World at large.It's also good for messaging my chosen family, and they me.

Social media has a massive impact on mental health in my experience. From comparing yourself to others (including friends or family) or having the fear of missing out, it can be overwhelming and depressing at times.

I find Facebook useful to find events both locally and further afield. I don't tend to post on it or Instagram much apart from when I go to gigs or something similar.

Totally agree other than this and occasionally trust pilot I do not touch it.

You are getting my vote

This pic looks like my G.P surgery once our appointments are confirmed late.

Lol.  Terrific meme.

IrishInManchesterUK said:

looking at the state of the world in the decades since, our grandparents warnings and predictions have been vindicated

Well I think a balanced view helps here.

Since the sixties there have been a lot of societal evolutions that would not align with the war generations values:

1 - Homosexuality would remain illegal (legalised in 1967)

2 - The church would still have a rigid hold over the population, denying many freedoms we take for granted now.

3 - The police force and state would be beyond censor so many of the abuses of power that we see get taken to task from a corrupt police force or dodgey politician wound never happen.

4 - Freedom of expression would be restricted to meet societal norms, meaning many people would have to confirm to ways of living they detest.

5 - relevant for us - autists would probably be considered defective and sent to asylums "for our own good".

etc

I'm quite glad we live in times where we are capable of free expression, acceptance and accountability.

Most gay pride parades are like that now too 

The 60’s was when the corruption started where our grandparents generation strongly advocated for a return to traditional moral and social values and they were the first to spot the corruption, which our parents were too blinded and brainwashed to the reality - decades after their passing in the 80’s, looking at the state of the world in the decades since, our grandparents warnings and predictions have been vindicated, which we gradually began to realise as our parents entered their own old age before their own passing and especially during Covid, this was brought into sharp focus

From the 60’s - to the 90’s we, especially our parents generation, became complacent and we dropped our moral vigilance, allowing forces of corruption to corrupt and pollute our society in the background - had we taken the guidance, warnings and predictions of our grandparents generation seriously, taken proper heed of and fully implemented these, we would not be in our current situation today - perhaps 9/11 and Covid among many other things would never have happened in our times 

When coupled with the moral decline of the 1960’s and the abolition of traditional religious based moral values and discipline (made doubly inexcusable by two world wars) it was a most dangerous, if not lethal combination for our society - given my 30 years in supermarket retailing and my traditional Catholic background, I’ve had to face up to some very harsh truths during Covid 

It goes even further back, to the advent of mobile phones and to the start of computers in secondary schools in the 1980’s, even to landline phones by U.K. council tenants in council houses, even when not connected to the old dialup internet - our grandparents generation, having already been totally opposed to both the TV and everything else, went to great lengths to oppose computers in schools, to us kids learning anything about computer science, etc and they went to the parish priests and the local police in Rural Ireland to put a stop to all of these things - it was only decades after their passing did we finally realise that their instincts were correct all along and their warnings and predictions turned out to be true in our times - we really do have to wonder about the true motivations of those who pushed this onto us, supposedly without restriction (aside from the setup and other costs) and where restrictions and censorship only came in much later on, as it later emerged that the elites don’t allow their children any access to these at all below the age of 21 and this includes the children of royal families - even adult members of the British royal family, even when they have mobile phones or internet, it is highly restricted 

Yes. We have become extraordinarily self obsessed and narcissistic, endlessly taking photos of ourselves and posting our every thought to the world. That's true. We've been dancing with Mr Brownstone. We've been flying like an aereoplane while feeling like space brain loaded like a freight train. Tis true.

I think it's Japan's work culture and lack of status for women as well as lack of childcare that's driving fewer to people have children. I think Japan's work culture where long hours and company loyalty have put people off relationships, from what I gather there's still an expectation that a woman will stop work upon marriage and be a stay at home full time housewife. If this is the case then it's no wonder a lot of women are seriously asking themselves what they want, a career or marriage? I don't know what the problem is with Japanese men, if there is one?

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Irish in Manchester

I'm going to have to disagree with you about this as in so much else.

Social media has obviously prevented people from simply being in the now, but I would be a hypocrite if I condemned that - Twitter/X feeds my ADHD cravings for novelty, despite me being very aware of what a hateful space it can be. And while it is stuffed with horrors, it has influenced politics (for example, revealing the extent of the genocide in Gaza and mobilising people to change things). 

I still persist with Facebook despite it mostly being a means to show off (I'm guilty of this as well). I'm still bewildered by Instagram and TikTok. There's such an endless provision of content and silliness and distraction...And yet, plenty of people have made a living out of it. Imagine paying the bills without having to leave the house. My autistic dream.

IrishInManchesterUK said:

sometimes have to be “cruel to be kind” and “protect them from themselves” “for their own good” in which case they will need “tough love”

Sounds like words used by most abusers to justify their crimes.

Luckily there is little chance society will regress to the days of 60 years ago when ignorance and abuse were so much more commonplace.