Evan ProdromouYes
Yes, but...
No, but...
No
Poll ended at .
malte@evan I wanted to say yes, but. But I think the most truthful answer for me is just yes. I think overall they are also unhealthy for adults. They're a fact of our world now, so I am betting on trying to improve them. It is a majro part of why I am on the fediverse.
@malte isn't this a social network?
@malte because you said that you're on the Fediverse because social networks are unhealthy for kids and adults. For me, that means either that you don't think the Fediverse is a social network, or that you think it's ok or necessary to do something unhealthy.
@evan What I meant to say is that I think the way social networks work at the moment are overall unhealthy for us. The reason I'm here is that I see this as the most likely place to improve the situation.
Rachel E. S. Lösche@resl You don't see how I conflate the two. They are separate in my mind, to the best of my own knowledge. What I do see is that the culture and norms many of us have learned on the commecial platforms, and that are perhaps even independent of them, like posing, self-obsessive thought, lots of anxious mind-reading of others and popularity contests, they exist here too. @evan
@malte @evan It was a grossly abstract question in the first place: "Are social networks unhealthy for minors?" It almost seems to intend to get people talking past each other.
I just wanted to point out the definition of
'social network' that might not come to most of us automatically but might have inspired the poll's terms.
I think that to attribute social ills to social networks is like attributing pain to one's own body.
I think the question of whether social networks are unhealthy or not tricks us into thinking more generally about the issue than could possibly be useful for us in trying to actually deal with the issue (of minors' "healthiness" or what is "unhealthy" for kids).
@resl The analogy doesn't quite hold up when you consider that social networks in the sense that I assume it is meant in the poll (the vast social networks through the internet) are a relatively new phenomenon. I believe our community skills and abilities to attune to other people have not progressed fast enough to meet the scale of people coming into our lives these days. And that the effect overall is unhealthy. @evan
@malte @evan That's right - if we stick to the social media platform definition of "social networks" then surely I can see the difference. I was referring to the society/social group definition of social networks.
Using the platform definition, I still think blaming the platforms distracts us from the reason that the big platforms are the way they are. I think I understand and agree with you. I'll stop trying to turn this into a conversation I like better lol.
@resl I think I get you now. Your working definition of "social network" in this thread is independent of online/AFK - you're thinking of networks of people that don't necessarily have any contact via internet, is that it?
@malte Yeah, I hoped to point out that the pollster might have used the term "social networks" because it has this double meaning and if people consider that it might help highlight the important role social media could play if policymakers treated the tech as a tool to support healthy social groups rather than a tool for profit regardless of the effects.
I think I tend to overestimate the likelihood that there are clever pro-social intentions behind what everyone is doing.
@malte But do you think this social platform is net unhealthy for people as it is right now?
Clinton Anderson SwordForHireEver have a glass of wine?
Alcohol is toxic to every human tissue, but we put in place precautions... We rigorously regulate the production, distribution, sale, and consumption of it. We have medical interventions for its abuse. We attach social stigma to those who purposefully abuse it.
We do ZERO of those things to social media, despite knowing that, especially in terms of mental health it can be as bad or worse for especially young people than alcohol and or drug abuse.....
So, yeah. Sometimes people choose to do things that are "bad" for them, but they can make informed decisions.
Social Media has suffered few if any of the oversights, restrictions, repercussions, as other harmful activities.
It's well past time we started.
@ClintonAnderson Thank you, that builds nicely on where I was going. I agree it would be helpful to have more support to use any social network appropriately. @evan