How the algorithms are erasing culture & ruining our lives

[@knwtr8461]

Social media is no longer meant for connecting with friends. It's designed almost entirely to facilitate the following of brands and the monetizing of personalities

[@subjecttochange2069]

I keep saying to all of my friends that social media is just one big ad now. It's just more insidious because it's often "real" people advertising a lifestyle or aesthetic vs a specific product like a traditional ad

[@wlk3607]

and to feed you ads every possible second

[@EbonyHoopGyal]

It is simply a tool for both capitalism and social thought control.

[@tysonristau4995]

I feel the people that are connecting and socializing are the influencers themselves. The rest of us are consuming.

[@TrevorHamberger]

The only personalities being monetized are fake actors doing a fake act

[@rach7096]

i miss the pre-algorithm internet so much. it was all about seeing posts from your friends and people you follow. now it's all strangers and ads and undisclosed ads

[@yasyas618]

ding ding ding ! 🙌🌈Cringe🌈🙌

[@penelopesparrow]

R.I.P my Livejournal years, 2004-2008. You were an innocent time. 💔

[@2nd3rd1st]

That's on you though for not tailoring your socials. On Bluesky you can just stay in your follows or any other custom feed and not have to engage with strangers or topics you dont care for.

[@jslaughter95]

And soon, AI insta profiles

[@angiecat21]

KZbin before constant ads. 🪦💐

[@PageScreenYT]

I notice when I use reels or fast paced algorithmic systems, I can't think straight and do work. Whenever I restrict it I feel so much better, I'm more patient and my focus improves. Everything is too quick for my brain these days. In the middle of watching them it feels like my brain is frying, but its so addictive that I keep watching.

[@Nagemy]

I deleted Instagram a few weeks ago for that reason. I spent so much time watching random people I didn't even know, just forever scrolling. I now click the "show less shorts" button Everytime KZbin recommends one too. I only allow myself to watch long form content, and only 1 video per sitting.

[@uikmnhj4me]

That’s what cocomelon does to kids. It’s intentionally too quick and bright for their little brains, so they get overstimulated and experience anxiety when the show goes off

[@katcarvajal7286]

Yup I feel like a gold fish!

[@ThatProverbs31Girl]

Im a writer, and just sitting for 1 chapter was difficult bc i found myself scrolling

[@Justanothercog24]

I've noticed my boyfriend seems to be addicted. The other day I watched him pick up his phone, open social media, close it seconds later, set his phone down & then do it all again. 3x in about 5 minutes like it was some kind of mindless tick.

[@christostefan]

People that have never experienced real time feed social media, have no idea how bad they have it now.

[@notreallyafamousartist695]

Fact.

[@tw8464]

Nailed it. The billionaires algorithms are pure 😈

[@PocketMirror]

It's funny to think that not so long ago, you could legitimately run out of new social media posts to see. You could fully catch up with your feed and be done with it.

[@christostefan]

@PocketMirror Twitter stole so much of our material.

[@nuclearpancake3683]

Man i wished i experienced that kind if social media, checking your feed seeing what tomfoolery your friends are doing seems fun ngl

[@elizabethfenelon7922]

Pinterest used to be the place where I’d explore some great ideas that I could actually implement. Now a quarter of it is just wonky AI images. It’s weirdly upsetting

[@glassbirds]

The art is all AI, the outfit ideas are just ads, and everything else is either overly marketed or political. I think the recipes are the only thing that somewhat survived on there...

[@elizabethfenelon7922]

@glassbirds Clothing and art are definitely goners, but I've still had some luck in finding activities for kids, recipies (like you mentioned), party themes, and niche crafting ideas.

[@Mackenziejb]

Yes! And scrolling on Pinterest (on Mobil) constantly opens ads and takes me to safari and Amazon :( infuriating stuff.

[@ascendednightingale2456]

@@glassbirdsI still use Pinterest for recipes, but it’s almost unusable due to the onslaught of relentless ads.

[@8yanna]

Can’t stand when I open an image then spawns multiple ones similar to it

[@WickedPlaysChannel]

I stopped using social media in 2018. Now I only use KZbin to watch specific creators, and discord to keep up with my friends online. I think a lot of people that say they're busy should give up on social media for a week. Completely give it up and see how busy you are. Because dropping social media has freed up a lot of my physical time and my brain space. Regarding where we can find curated information, in the past those were found in magazines. You could look through the magazine and the magazine would eventually end lol but you had to pay for it, and nowadays people just expect everything to be free. Now if everything is free, the product becomes you!

[@Learning2BeBrave]

magazines sucked ass too when they sell you "top 10 sponsored gadgets I bought!". Focusing solely on the money is the problem. Bring good content and people will pay.

[@notapersonbutachaosgoblin]

Legit I left social media last year and I could FEEL the gears in my brain creeking to get going again - the brain rot was so severe that it physically hurt to learn how to be an active consumer again Plus the way it freed up my time like you said. Literally learned how to play guitar, become more active in my exercise, etc

[@random.oddities]

Perfectly said 👍

[@saraferguson1156]

I was just talking about this on Christmas with my uncle and dad. They made the comment about how they used to think time moves so fast. It really doesn’t though. We’re just spending so much time consumed by social media and doom scrolling and being glued to our phones that our perception of time and its passage and length is skewered. It’s wild.

[@drewa5392]

Our algorithms become an 'echo chamber' of things most engaging to us... including ragebait and drama which is why i think we've argued so much the last few years.☹️

[@AshleyEmbers]

I agree

[@tracelee7332]

2025 - make *energy* consciousness a thing ❤

[@TheYourmama56]

Which is why I have deleted most social media I’ve become aware how rage baiting they are the algorithms suck 😊

[@lgnoramaLama]

I don't actually think we argued so much, that could actually be beneficial. Instead most people I tried to argue with where just so stuck in their echo chambers that constructive arguing was basically impossible. It get's pretty nasty when you have to explain, or rather convince people of basic facts and reasons for morality before you can bring up your actual argument.

[@shroomologist]

Can't really blame the algorithms for an influx of people bandwagoning their way onto two or three platforms, full of people they obviously won't get on with, and giving corporations carte blanche to do what they want with their captive audiences.

[@tylersingleton9284]

Worse than "the internet" is every search browser. I miss the old google that would give you 100 pages of possible hits to your query that actually have the phrase on the page.

[@joTheBonas]

if you search for something in questions marks, it searches for the actual words being used. but yeah its still sad

[@nettertyp]

You will never get more than 40-50 pages nowadays regardless what you are searching for. Try it! For example: NYC. Google will tell you, that there are 10.000.000.000 results but you will NEVER get more than 50 pages. That means 500 results NOT 10 Billion!

[@selunescorpio]

9:09 It feels like everyone is so burnt out. It’s difficult to escape and decompress because everything demands your attention. Social media has become another one of those things. I don’t think human beings were meant to be this aware of so many things, or this intellectually active, because the burnout is hard to shake and hits like a ton of bricks.

[@blondbraid7986]

You really hit the nail on the head, I've been feeling this unnatural burnout for years now, because rather than just withdrawing from busywork, just finding something or somewhere to withdraw without a constant barrage of spam and ragebait has essentially started to feel like a project that takes work and energy in itself.

[@EbonyHoopGyal]

This in combination with this wacky economy makes it so there is barely time to recuperate from any burnout. You have to consistently work and you have to consistently post to keep your engagement so you can use social media for money. But like you said, so everly draining.

[@thisismevox]

Amen. the burnout is sooooo real.

[@nikko.lottsahcocc6917]

The ‘burnout’ is because on every social media platform the feed is an array of vastly different topic related videos and chats and everyone is consuming far too much needless content and absorbing information that at the end of the day straight up IRRELEVANT TO OUR REAL LIVES. I was trying to tell ppl 10+ years ago THE INTERNET ISNT REAL SO STOP REGARDING IT AS SUCH.

[@bluuberrycow67]

It’s like how are we to connect these days ? I miss human interaction but like there literally no kids out !?😂

[@maggiechavers9592]

Watch any futuristic dystopian movie, and it feels like we are moving towards that at lightning speed. It's honestly scary.

[@ray_x6959]

The matrix

[@TheFatNooblet]

if i had a dollar for everytime someone said we’d be living in a dystopian future movie, I would buy an AI girlfriend

[@Ractpier]

H.e.r. Is becoming real ..

[@cfrizzie]

Love this commentary, I think you're spot on. I feel like hobbies are key. I tell my 7-year-old daughter "Consumption isn't a hobby" in response to so many of her requests, she probably hears it in her dreams. 😂

[@AshleyEmbers]

Okay but “consumption isn’t a hobby” is a great video topic 🧐😄

[@user-jo7xn5hf6b]

I think we all need to hear this every now and then :)

[@kallistoindrani5689]

I need that line on a tshirt. 👍👍

[@Wakeupgrandowl]

@@AshleyEmbersthis is amazing. It’s a great reminder for myself as well. Sometimes you get stuck just viewing content and buying things for your hobbies and projects and never actually doing the things!!

[@ladeedidaadii]

​@@Wakeupgrandowlsoo relatable😮😢

[@Miss__Elle]

I'm so disappointed with the state of social media, the good thing is I spend less and less time online because it has become so empty that it's just wasting my time, but I miss the inspiration and fun I used to have in the beginning. I hate that it's all marketing now. Love your content! ❤

[@DarisT-qc1fw]

I think AI and the internet as a whole will eventually devolve to a point where people decide to put down their phones and go outside.

[@Kyza-up2xb]

I think people will devolve before the internet does

[@Jout8-re1ij]

So what are you then actually doing outside, if it looks depressing and this meaningless world there arent much to actually do outside.

[@Flowergoatflower]

@@Jout8-re1ijthis depends on where you live, and if you don’t go outside enough…then it’s easy to imply that there is nothing to do. But also…I live in NYC, so there’s always lots to do…so again, not necessarily true. Although I do feel bad for those in small towns because their options are 100% limited

[@JuanThaSilva]

There’s a lot of things to do outside. We over exaggerate things a lot.

[@miad5079]

genuinely! bc this is where i'm at rn. I've picked up the guitar again, getting into hobbies. i am starting to resent the fact that all of my choices feel predetermined, as if the algorithm is picking what I should be interested in next.

[@theogcyndol]

I’ve been thinking about taking a break from social media again because there’s SO MANY ADS! I hop on there to see what’s going on with my friends but my friends don’t post much and I don’t blame them because neither do I and then it’s all just ads and mindless stuff and sometimes it doesn’t hook me in and other times I feel like so much time has been wasted because I’m hooked. I think the last day of 2024 is a good time to start my break.

[@theogcyndol]

@ Right!? It wasn’t like that before and then suddenly BOOM! ADS! And FB is exactly the same and now you even get notifications about sponsored stuff, it’s insane! I posted a happy new year post on Insta and FB and have removed both of them from my phone so I won’t be using them for a long period of time because they’re honestly exhausting with how much they try to cram in your face. I also like YT, I won’t be leaving here. I need Sims content in my life and content like in this video 😅

[@TrevorHamberger]

I don't have to do any of that all you people kicked me off because I'm a conspiracy theorist. Even though everything I say and it ends up happening

[@HeavyMetalBandz]

One of the saddest things I witness and personally deal with is AI "artists" saying things like "I don't want to pay an artist to make something that's not as good as what the AI can make" and this is literally so devastating because humans should not have to compete with computers. There is something so disgenuine about things that are too perfect looking (but they're not because AI still doesn't get things 100% right. Like, at first glance, some of those images look really polished, but the closer you look, the more issues you find with hands looking weird or a clothing strap not lining up and things like that. Humans don't make those mistakes because we have our human experience to draw from.

[@AlekseyMaksimovichPeshkov]

Yeah, we shouldn't be competing against a technology that stole from our work without our permission or consent to get as good as it is now.

[@pookieluh]

ai looks horrible

[@Fantallana]

I more accurate paraphrase of those AI bros would be “I don’t want to pay the artists I’m stealing from.”

[@abby_renee2395]

My phones charging port busted, so I can’t use my phone when it’s charging on a wireless charger and it’s made my life SO MUCH BETTER to not be able to scroll when I get home bc I’ve found other ways to pass my time 🙏🏻 I learned embroidery, how to use a drill, and I’ve started reading and working out again. I feel like I know who I am again 🥳

[@frithfiver]

That's actually a great tip to get a wireless charger! Good for you

[@lalalalalalalalalala62]

so happy for you emboridery is a great hobby been doing it for a while now and its so calming

[@musicjunkiesstudio]

Same here 👍🏽

[@WIMMine]

Note to self: break your phone's charging port ;D

[@Maggie-zb7gx]

I got a dumb phone and I am as engaged in my life as I was back in childhood days

[@lemmings6516]

We should have never allowed people to link personal content and monetarisation. What was unique about social media was that people shared their uncorrupted views on there because there was no compensation. Now I get the ick when I see what people are doing for money on social media, like people posting their kids in vulnerable situations and everybody desperately wanting to look like the mainstream because it has been proven to be successful. We are chasing the money and selling our individuality, normal humans have become corrupt and I’d argue that it’s not really valued anymore to create real art, that could potentionally disturbing and human because people are scared it’s not gonna please the algorithm.

[@tw8464]

Exactly

[@Siropfraiseeu]

Sharing your personnal life was a no no rule back then, when internet was still niche

[@joTheBonas]

We lost when big companies saw that they can make money on the internet, there was no avoiding this from happening (at least in the economic systen that rules our world atm)

[@brittv420]

this video is making me wonder if that's why i've pivoted toward using reddit a lotttt more in the past year or so. because that way, if i am endlessly scrolling, it's at least about topics i know i want to see, and it feels like i'm in community with the other people in the subreddit.

[@sparkk2871]

Feel the same way about Tumblr. Finding fandom communities on there is so much easier than trying to do the same on Insta.

[@jonferngut]

I did that, then also got rid of Reddit. You said it yourself, "it feels like" you are in a community. I have decided to be in real F2F communities with friends and family, I'm too tired of the digital world.

[@tinygreenleaf]

Yeah! This is why I will never leave amino, even though it's becoming increasingly more broken and is slowly dying, but the handful of communities I'm in there feel like my internet home full of genuine people being excited about things we love. There's no algorithm or endless scroll, it's just genuine posts made by real people excited to share their love with people who love the same things.

[@brittv420]

@@jonferngut i think it depends. when face to face interaction isn’t always feasible, i’ll take what i can get

[@brittv420]

@@tinygreenleaf oh interesting, i’ve never heard of this platform! there really are so many great online communities out there. having a shared interest can do a lot to bring people together

[@albawaterhouse]

I am not on tiktok but I did an experiment with my cousin that shook us both. My coussin is a male in his late 30s and I am a female in my late 30s. We both downloaded the app at the same time, filled up the required data and started checking it out. After only 7 minutes, all I was getting were videos of makeup (which I don't use) and recipes (I am vegan so most of them were useless to me). But the most disturbing thing was what was showned to my cousin. After the same amount of time, 7 minutes, he got 1 out of 3 videos being of very young women, some even teens trying on clothes, twerking, etc and the most disturbing part is that he started gettin tiktok live reccomendations that were school/high school girls streaming random things like "having lunch after high school", "doing my homework" and stuff like that. We were horrified and deleted the app after 10 minutes of use.

[@steelguitar8587]

The last couple months I’ve strictly limited my social media intake, and it’s been great for my brain. I took Facebook and TikTok off my phone, and put Instagram (which I do enjoy and have to use a bit for my job) on a daily timed limit. I was very much hooked and the thing I’ve mostly noticed is I don’t get mad/annoyed as easily lately. Also, everybody should read more! Not only are books physical things that you actually own, but they’re the only medium left where you won’t be interrupted with ads.

[@pookieluh]

my eyes break when I try to read books

[@RndmAnvgr777]

​@@pookieluhHow exactly do your eyes "break"?

[@pookieluh]

@@RndmAnvgr777 they move all over the page or I lose my line or see like inverted light

[@Raymanujan]

Long live physical books.

[@Raymanujan]

@@pookieluh Break into tears... tears of joy?

[@postpunkmorticia]

i do genuinely feel like i stop using social media the more and more i see ads and none of my friends' stuff, and then i just text them directly and hang out irl also small note, its pronounced mina "lay"!

[@onehumanwoman]

This video put the final nail Inthe coffin and I have removed Instagram from my apps!

[@piiinkDeluxe]

🎉🎉🎉

[@kylieyrous]

Yay! 🎉

[@LauraBow]

I feel like this also why fandoms are so terrible now. It less about being a fan and more about trend hopping. A surprising amount of people will never engage with the media before hopping on to posting art.

[@jukesy1992]

That's why before I even comment on something I make sure o actually ngage with the thing first.

[@ukrisli]

What I find sinister and what actually proves the point that people are so deeply manipulated is how all these influencers on TikTok use the same hand gestures. Have you noticed? The same type of hand gestures over and over again. Makes me sick to my stomach.

[@Shh_kult]

copy cat npcs.......no personality,no essence.

[@whatsonhermindblog123]

!!!!!!!!​@Shh_kult

[@Dancinglemon]

I don’t hate TikTok but it is absolutely the place where individuality goes to die.

[@afanstopic1733]

This is not an algorithm problem, but a technology problem. Even as far back as the 1920s, technology has been used to break down the diversity of culture to mold it into a homogeneous whole for the convenience of advertisers and business. If any of you want prof I recommend "Propaganda" by E. Bernay's from 1928, there are free PDFs online.

[@cherubxingyu]

It's the problem of "dominance" and "colonization" mindset.

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

I also think that there’s seriously a PUBLIC aspect of online, such as there being absolutely no barrier between people of different ages. Thus, there are 30 year olds making content alongside 55 year olds alongside 8 year olds. This has never happened before. EVER.

[@piiinkDeluxe]

Very interesting point!

[@tobydandelion]

I dunno, I was on the internet as a child from the late 90s to the early 2000s, and I chatted with adults on gaiaonline, chanboards, and deviantart. What's actually happening is that normal people never used to use things like deviantart and chanboards. Now the entire internet is like deviantart and chanboards, participation-wise. Any non-branded content is being made by people with the most free time, hence, weird people and kids. (Like on deviantart and chanboards back in the day.) Normal people are the consumers more often than creators, because normal people are busy.

[@bobbinthepirate]

On the topic of retro fashion becoming popular again due to algorithms... I'm 28 years old, I've been dressing like a 1960s hippie since I was 16. I got laughed at for it for a good couple years, but eventually folks kinda came around to it because I owned it so well. Every piece of my wardrobe at that point was slowly curated not only to the fashion from the 60s, but also things that reflected myself. It wasn't just the bell bottoms and tweed belts and tie-dye, it was also the little patches and homemade headbands and buttons I had found at a range of places from Hot Topic to Goodwill to even ones I made myself or friends made or gifted to me. I'd make my own jewelry, and sew and modify my own clothes over time, adding patchwork or tailoring something to fit me better or adding on intricate stitches onto my pants to look like flowers. And I had a LOT of things expressing my political and social views on my outfit, ranging from Black Lives Matter to LGBT+ rights, and anti-Drump buttons. I even found some political/social rights buttons from the 60s that I wore that were still relevant. That being said, when I saw folks wearing bell-bottoms and stuff recently, I got really excited. Especially because I started transitioning at this time and I was trying to find more ways to take my hippie look and make it more masculine, so seeing it come in fashion was good because I figured that I might be able to make some friends who understood the hippie movement and what it was all about, as well as trade fashion tips and ways to express yourself more. But I also started noticing everyone was wearing the same brand of bell-bottoms. And the same print of psychedelic shirt. And the same exact accessories. I thought it was kinda odd until I found out that apparently it was a part of a TikTok fashion trend. I hate to sound like an old man here, but it really annoyed me that something that I worked hard to develop over the course of 12, soon to be 13 years, has just been boiled down into algorithmic soup. Like, the hippie movement had an actual meaning and I feel like it's something that 10000% should be brought back in today's climate in earnest, because the hippie movement wasn't just about the fashion, it was a political movement. It was anti-war, it was for civil rights, it was pro-choice, it was feminist. These are all things we need right now. But it got boiled down into a commodity which like.. I dress this way for fun to an extent, yes. All the bright colors, and all the sewing and modification, and collecting buttons both old and new are fun. But it's not just about the fun, the way I dress is a political statement and always has been. It feels very uncomfortable seeing plastic versions of it floating around. It makes me wonder if there's even a point to what I'm doing if it's going to be seen as just a commodity and a trend..

[@PotatoChipChippity]

Don't ever stop being who you are. This was an awesome comment to read. So much truth in what you are saying, it is sad. I feel that tik tok trends have done that a lot, like you said, boiling it down and making it feel cheap. A way less intense example might be a song you have a deep connection with that now is reduced to 16 counts of dance steps and forgotten about later. Or songs that have deep meanings about deep topics that are now associated with "what cartoon character are you?" And stupid stuff like that. You said it way better but I agree so much with your comment. Please don't stop being your hippie self!!! I will always be stuck in the rawr xD era of fashion, hair, the like.

[@WIMMine]

I'm getting a little off-topic from the video now but what you said rings so fucking true it hurts: "It was anti-war, it was for civil rights, it was pro-choice, it was feminist. These are all things we need right now"

[@IGN_OFFClAL]

Thos reminds me of the black mirror episode where a man who held a studio hostage to right an injustice was turned into a spokesperson who advertised products by making hostage taking an gimmick marketing tool. I say hostage but youtube is stinky with the other word for being ones own hostage.

[@NovaBlue242]

God this whole comment is horrifying. You started as a unique individual with personalized fashion and a political statement, then changed into a reflection of current identity politics and corporatized influence. You were a hippie, now you're a trans mouthpiece for corporate interests. Do you realize that you've been... how do you describe it, commodified? Do you see the awful irony of a hippie promoting shit like BLM and anti-Trump?

[@Dancinglemon]

@@NovaBlue242who’s an edgy boy!! Who’s an edgy boy! It’s you! You are! Aww little baby edgy boy!!

[@joshd4066]

One other thing I have noticed is that so many Gen Z & A produced videos have absolutely no pauses between statements. It is all one run on sentence, there's no time to really taken what is said in. It reminds me of the old days of radio when Dead Air was a cardinal sin.

[@qwinlyn]

To add to this, most streaming services have removed the 30 seconds you used to get between episodes to digest what you just saw! There’s a 2 second pause and then you’re right back into it. Thanks, I *hate* it. It reduced every episode to a Monster of the Week, “Can’t worry about XYZ, we’ve gotta move on to ABC now!” marathon.

[@jukesy1992]

@@qwinlyn In the case of a streaming service in the UK called ITV X, you can't even turn off autoplay! It's ridiculous.

[@Dancinglemon]

Yes! I get so overstimulated by that stuff, my brain needs time to process what I’m hearing. There’s also the editing, in media there’s a set number of seconds minimum each general shot should to last so the audience can understand what they’re seeing in each one. On tiktok, people will have multiple in under a second and it gives me a headache to watch. Theres a growing amount of comments I’ve also seen on videos over 2 minutes where they complain it’s too long and could’ve been 30 seconds instead. It’s really depressing.

[@jukesy1992]

@ How do you even digest anything at such a short rate though? Sometimes, buildingg up reallyy, really pays off! These videos with multiple jump cuts very fast even effects the audio content and is, honestly, absolutely ridiculous.

[@tackydesign6064]

This is a video about normal people finally realising the algorithms strangehold on pop culture. The art world has watched it happen since the beginning.

[@WeTheVegans]

I always find that your videos so mirror my feelings. It’s nice to know I’m not alone. Thanks for taking the time and effort to put your videos together that way you do. Appreciate ya!

[@piiinkDeluxe]

This sounds like an AI comment lol

[@cheriebrown5017]

This was fantastic! Exceptional commentary! I recently re-installed FB on my phone after 3 years, out of sheer boredom and I was blown away by what it's become.

[@dontworryabtitlol]

I started an album club with friends because I'm fed up with the crappy Spotify algorithm serving me the same 10 songs all the time.

[@RockStar977X]

I recently went to a diner didn’t use any of these it was their own style…It felt homey, cozy, warm and fresh. Be you, decorate however you want!

[@notapersonbutachaosgoblin]

“No getting canceled for bad human behavior” - this right here is why I left social media. I watched “drama tok” viciously go after just regular people because their “former besties” decided to release the hounds on them. There’s only so much sociopathic behavior you can witness before you exit stage left

[@jukesy1992]

I like how you've used a theatre reference here.

[@north_star_yt]

I have sensory overload issues and social anxiety already and one of the things that absolutely infuriates me nowadays is TV screens at gas pumps blasting in my face the latest junk info and ads while just trying to pay attention to the gas I'm pumping ...or walking into Walmart, they have blaring speakers outside in the parking lots spewing ads or shitty music. I loathe how disgusting our society has become with raping our ears and eyes non-stop with advertising. Our culture doesn't value silence, pausing or reflecting and it is taking a major toll. Sorry, I know this isn't specifically internet related.

[@carpetbomb8986]

You can mute the ads pressing the second button from the top on the right side of the screen

[@hellsbails]

I was in a chain restaurant recently that blares music videos on screens all around the restaurant. We got sat in the bar/patio area in a corner where the music was insanely loud. I couldn’t even talk to my mom who was sitting directly across from me. When we asked our waiter if it was possible to turn it down, he said it’s their company policy/standard to have it at a certain volume. I couldn’t believe that! Sensory overload for sure

[@makkerfelix]

we have constant stimulation going into our brains now from waking up to going to bed, the second theres nothing going on, we grab our phone and open some app

[@jukesy1992]

I agree, the the music these days seems to have no soul either, or at least the mainstream stuff.

[@veramichaella714]

Deleting my socials 4 years ago was BY FAR the best decision I ever made for myself. Every time I watch your videos about social media I am more happy with this decision❤

[@polinah94233]

I stopped using social media during the pandemic. I felt so much happier. I do miss seeing photos of my friends and family on the other side of the world, so I stopped using insta. It annoyed the hell out of me! Now I only have KZbin and only long form content. Hardly any shorts, only if I need to learn something quickly. It's waaaay better that way.

[@SW-zb6bf]

You hit on everything and didn't even mention how ads are a huge contribution to this phenomenon

[@That_Girl_Bambi]

I've been telling people this for the longest!! Thank you so much for putting in the research to verbalize this 🙌🏽🙌🏽

[@50summerz]

I think this video just changed my life! I will never view social media or content creation the same ever again. You’ve just made such an incredible impact 🌏

[@katejordan2153]

This was genuinely one of the most well said, crafted, and educational video i’ve watched on KZbin.

[@Jeskrist5]

I totally vibe with what’s said in this video. Being in my mid-thirties, I got to experience life before algorithms, influencers, and ads took over our feeds like they do now. Honestly, about a month ago, I was hit with some pretty intense anxiety, and I had to make a change. I ditched Instagram and moved to VSCO. I still want to stay connected online, but I just couldn’t deal with the weird, invasive videos clogging up my feed. The fact that I have to jump through hoops in settings just to block certain content is ridiculous. Some of it is honestly disturbing-like seeing videos of animal abuse from other countries, which just shouldn’t be on my feed. So, I’ve found myself going back to old media for some peace. I’ve been rewatching shows like Xena: Warrior Princess because it’s so much slower, grittier, and, honestly, more digestible. The editing is chill, the pacing is relaxed-nothing like the super-polished, high-quality, fast-paced, pop-music-driven chaos of today’s content. It's like I needed a break from perfection. I’ve also started reading for 20 minutes before bed, and that small habit has been such a game changer. It’s calming, and it’s honestly shifted how I see life. Just going back to simpler, slower things has made a real difference in how I’m navigating all this overstimulation.

[@sportybeth]

I started using zapier for my business and found a load of pre-built AI sequences made to create and post images to platforms!! 🤯🤯🤯 this is how it’s happening. No one is even creating it.

[@Sylvelourie]

When Facebook started to make it impossible to view content chronologically, I knew social media had crashed and burned. The other time I felt that huge "betrayal" was when Skype no longer sent messages unless you and the receiver were both online at the same time, and started showing people as online all the time if they were on their phones. Both of these things are an example of taking away the actual social aspect. If you can't tell when people are actually online, you can't message them when they are actually available. If you can't tell what people are actually doing and saying in the moment on Facebook, you can't properly keep up with them. Both of those things happened long ago. Social media's been dead a long, long time.

[@CakeslyMcShakesly]

Y'all can do it, it's worth it, I believe in you, and it's super rewarding when you start getting better at feeding your curiosity ❤

[@93LibraZebra93s]

We’ll always feel alone, lost, unloved, unaccepted, that ‘I just don’t know’ feeling, that there’s something more, if we continue to abandon ourselves. Don’t be a spectator of other people’s lives, be a participator of your own life. Spectating for too long feels like holding your breath under water for too long. One of the most dangerous parts of social media is the feeling of participation when in actuality it feeds the need to spectate, more and more. What people are looking for on the screen- entertainment, acceptance, answers, all exist within and in the experience of real life. Reality is based off perception, the meaning we give things. Chang your perspective and watch as things around you become more fulfilling. Embrace without enabling mistakes, learn from them. Spectating other’s life doesn’t hide us from making our own mistakes because ironically, spectating is the biggest mistake we could make.

[@NobodyImporttant]

Regardless of whether you don’t think you’re well versed on this topic, I (and I’m sure many others) appreciate you talking about this. This problem needs to be discussed, and you made a nice, straightforward and engaging video. I’m worried about how algorithms will affect children as they are introduced to the internet and touch screens at younger ages. Hell grown adults get sucked into the trap. If only intentional mindfulness would become popular and stick rather than being yet another fleeting trend

[@sniperslim]

I was just talking about this with a coworker. I still wish to utilize the internet as a resource. I want to search for the information/content. I don’t want suggestions. that’s a major part of my disenchantment personally

[@robertmatthews2154]

I think suggestions are fine as long as they come from real people instead of corporations

[@unavezms8167]

Have anyone bought anything from ads recently? Seriously for all the bazillion ads I see everyday 0.5 are for a product I might buy. Each time I see an ad for yet another useless AI app I just wonder WHY.

[@sylokthedefiled7650]

I almost automatically ignore all ads. I occasionally get something from an ad I get for Etsy, but I have to make sure it isn't some drop shipped slop first, which is ridiculous.

[@mrggy]

I haven’t bought anything from ads, but I have noticed that ads have been subconsciously effecting my perceptions of which brands are “reputable” or “industry leaders.” If I hear the name of a brand enough, I start thinking of that brand when I think of that category of item. If I consider buying something, a brand that I’ve heard of, be it from friends or from ads (my brain doesn’t keep track) tends to be what I consider first. I’ve noticed this especially since I moved to a new country last year, so I’m a bit of a blank slate when it comes to impressions of local brands. A brand feels more reputable if it’s a name that I recognize, regardless of how it is that I first heard of it. This also ties into the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon where when we learn something or become aware of something for the first time, we feel like we suddenly start seeing it everywhere. If a brand can get their name in your head, you’ll start noticing them more. The more you notice them, the more your opinion of the brand is likely to improve which increases the likelihood that you may buy from that brand. Maybe not today, but perhaps weeks or months from now. To be fair though, this mostly applies to real brands that are paying for things like KZbin ads. Not the dropshippers that take out cheap pintrist ads. I think they’re just hoping you’ll click on accident and then make an impulse purchase.

[@June_Yue]

I've not bought a single thing from an ad. Ever. If I see something interesting, I make a note of it and revisit in a week. If I still want it in a week, I do research online to find the best product that serve the purpose and the company behind it.

[@notreallyafamousartist695]

Recently 😹 I’ve never bought anything from an ad ever and never will

[@PotatoChipChippity]

I get ads all the time for onion and garlic things. I am highly allergic to onions and garlic and would be sent to the hospital for consuming the things I get in ads. I literally say into my phone "you are wasting your money you are advertising to the wrong person"

[@phoebehill953]

This trend of boring globalization started long before the Internet. In the late 80s we got the term “accidental tourist“ to describe the McDonaldnazation of the world. No matter where you go - the same crap is there.

[@nettertyp]

Coca Cola was very common in Nazi Germany.

[@jelociraptor318]

It was nice to see you reference Mina Le's video - I like listening to both of you speak on a variety of topics because you give perspectives on important topics that I align with

[@20cpmcmahon]

I think one long-term casualty of the embrace of AI on the micro scale is the loss of curiosity. It used to be, even when you used a search engine, it was all the incidental stuff you came across that would spark interest in other topics. I see it with interns and new grads coming in and I, at least, find it so devastating. Maybe I'm just getting old

[@Sandcat]

That quiet serendipitous thrill of stumbling across some obscure brilliant creation or a new interest. All on your own. What bliss. I have been reminiscing on this feeling lately too. I miss it so much.

[@rosariorobles3536]

From my experience, Google Maps has also gone rough here in Argentina. It’s defying me to make U turns in the middle of highways or to go through dangerous neighborhoods. 😮 And I’m soooooo tired of remakes and Disney human-little mermaid, lion king, etc. No new ideas

[@bridget9462]

put this in a book! but seriously, such an insightful video. Appreciate your time!

[@whoatemychocolate]

21:45 Oh my god, seriously though! Pinterest used to be so much fun, now it's just AI slob, ads, and the same five other links repeated every six posts or so. It's completely unusable!

[@Fantalla]

You ask so many questions I have had. When I was younger and the internet was young I thrived on it - it felt like it had endless avenues I could turn to to find myself and create, but in my 30s Im noticing this distaste for alot of the things I see online now. I find peace in a lot of disconnection and doing things with my own hands, away from the posting rat chase. I dont know a lot, but I know myself and my ability to create something special just for me to me. It comes at a price of blocking the collective online consciousness out of my head and trusting in my own human abilities. Im not saying that Im not plugged in, I am, but I take the time to unplug when I am noticing these anxieties arising. When we take away our illusion of choice in some of the aspects of our lives, or atleast reduce it, a lot of the magic of life seems to come back some. I do remember a time when I felt more deeply intuned with that. I miss it everyday.

[@ElectricSwordFish-i4k]

23:55 All artists with a functioning brain have known that judges for competitions don't know sh8 for so long now. I remember Method Man not going to MTV awards and refusing to accept the award and handing it back saying it was the worst moment of his career. Slayer showing up to the grammies and saying "we dont even care, its all bs anyway. thanks for the free beer". Gorillaz refusing to accept UK music award and saying it would mean "wearing a dead albatross around your neck for all eternity.”

[@nathanoglesby3762]

Also, humor. Everyone makes the same jokes, which has always been kind of a thing with major comedy movies/shows, but it's sooo much worse now. At least with movies, you had to sit and watch them to pick up the jokes, but now people just parrot the saaame exact jokes. Like, half the reviews for big movies on letterboxd are people making variations of the same 3 jokes. It's exhausting. I'm largely off social media now, and i can still tell when people are regurgitating those jokes.

[@maldar]

I totally blame the Property Brothers for the Grey Walla/White Trim aesthetic. What's worse is that I was shopping for a home & seeing before & after shots & preferring the before. I hate Flippers & refuse to buy a house that was Flipped.

[@colleena.247]

I’m glad people are waking up, thank you for this! It’s been a goal of mine to get all of my family and friends who have TikTok to get off or at least take a break. It’s impeding our clarity and personal decision making.

[@4thanonymousperson]

7:36 ad/sponsor skip

[@phyliciajoykloes]

Interesting video, Ashley. It is kind of insane how social media has taken this turn.

[@Jack_Skeleton_888]

1:17 I think with the new rush of trying to push out the newest exciting thing, we’ve lost touch with the community. During quarantine we had community with going through the same process and we all connected but that we aren’t all going through the same thing, we’ve lost touch. Now the internet or social media doesn’t seem as good or engaging anymore because everything has lost meaning, we don’t see too many relatable things instead we see AI made videos or some people trying to be the newest-most exciting thing. I wish I could feel good on social media and not have think about the fact most people on social media platforms don’t even care too much about anything except going famous

[@monesquely]

You've articulated and conveyed this in a way that's helpful for me to re-think how I interact with social media (and this is coming from someone who has never had TikTok). Thank you for making this video!

[@SunnyBeetle1922]

I agree… The internet is hell. I’m having to escape to my offline media so I can be myself again.

[@lu1u3]

ive been waiting for people to start talking about this,,, i hope this video reaches far and wide

[@Nic-du6xe]

Yep Google Maps keeps giving wrong directions these days, how many u turns I was asked to do in the last couple of months only to be told 2 mins later I was actually on the right road.

[@ringsystemmusic]

I straight can’t use google maps anymore. If it gets fed a lightly wrong address, the kind that doordash spits out, “124 address st” instead of 124 address street, it doesn’t take you anywhere near 124 address street, it just takes you to a random business that paid to be listed with them. No errors or anything is shown, so you actually think you’re headed to 124 address street.

[@modesie]

Google Maps has massively messed up my work commute so many times. Claiming to save me 15 minutes and in actuality losing me 30 to 45.

[@pookieluh]

AI maps 😭

[@SimuLord]

I work in a place that Google Maps is very bad at finding, and it quickly becomes obvious just how few Uber drivers actually know how to get around Seattle whenever I have to take one to work. I have to navigate from the back seat or they'll get horribly lost.

[@Nic-du6xe]

@@SimuLord hope they give you a discount

[@toallthecrowdedrooms283]

Amazing video. You perfectly verbalized everything I have been feeling. Culture is dead and there’s no way of knowing if it will ever come back.

[@shmarpo8418]

My spouse and I have noticed the same thing with Google Maps. During an hour drive to their dad's house, we were sent through multiple neighborhoods that we've never been to before, and through a busy shopping center. It also once sent us to a house that didn't exist, (it was 55 minutes from the house we were actually supposed to go to). I think it could be corporate complacency. They've monopolized these services, and don't need to optimize them because we'll just use them anyway.

[@paulharrow7897]

Holy cow, never thought of that. I just thought it wasn't great at finding the most direct route. Now I feel stupid, lol.

[@Aleatoire9]

I really like how you pointed out it’s more about marketing than being social. I noticed this in about 2021 and it gave me the ick but I kept trying to be on social media because it felt like I’d be missing out if I wasn’t. I actually hate marketing lmao so now that you’ve helped me frame it better as exactly what it is I feel like it’ll be that much easier to just cut ties with it, thank you 💕

[@Hoepotheis]

I use YT music because the genres and artists I like for example, progressive psytrance, aren't on most popular platforms like Spotify or Apple music. Many amateur mixes and DJ sets, which is how we find and discover new tracks just aren't on those platforms.

[@EcchiGamingYT]

Yeah. I feel like trance and psytrance are especially forgotten about genres now, sadly.

[@joTheBonas]

KZbin music is actually good yeah but you can't scroll playlists which makes it unusable for me😅 if they fix that ill switch immediately

[@Aleatoire9]

I’m commenting like wild but you are summarizing everything (like everything) I’ve been thinking about for the past few months, THANK YOU!!

[@ArianaRicarte]

I’d love to see a video on how being an only child influences a child’s development and if not having siblings causes them to miss out on anything developmental important because I’ve noticed that there seem a lot more parents only having one child now.

[@MyahWorld]

I think it depends on the parenting and "village." I'm an only child. My mom was a single mother and had my grandmother move in with us to help take care of me. But I had a few cousins my age that I would routinely get together and play with, as well as friends I made as i started and went through school. I'm now in my thirties, married, and have a toddler of my own. He might be our only as well but he has cousins around his age and neighborhood friends we routinely see. When he starts preschool or Kindergarten I'm certain he'll make friends there. He also sees his grandparents often. So far his life is just as fulfilled as his cousins with siblings. I know people with siblings who struggled and only children who struggled. But it all comes down to the parenting. How they are treated, what they are taught to value, etc. Regardless, I'd like to hear her take on this as well.

[@stopdragginaround]

As a single child myself, I did feel as a teen I maybe didn't have like the social skill set others had, but I'm not sure if that's down to lack of siblings. I learned charisma through waitressing though and now see no difference between me and friends with siblings! I think it all comes down to the parents and how they raise you.

[@wii1199]

I’m an only child and didn’t have this problem. There are people who have multiple kids but the kids just go to their own rooms and do their own thing. It is highly depended on the parenting and exposure the kids receive. I was constantly around other children and I was told how I was supposed to act. My friends who were only children are also fine socially. I have students who have siblings and they have terrible social skills. It can go either way.

[@mrggy]

I’m an only child with parents who worked a lot (which I think is an important aspect) and I think the only real effect has been that I’m very comfortable on my own. I played on my own a lot as a kid because my parents had to work, but often from home, negating the need for childcare or a babysitter. As an adult, I now feel very confident living alone and doing things on my own. I’ve heard that a lot of people struggle with the quietness of living alone or doing things in public like going to the movies alone. That’s never been a huge issue for me, which I think relates back to having to spend time having fun alone as a kid. I still went to normal public school and had friends though, so I can also socialize with others just fine

[@stopdragginaround]

@mrggy yes. I'm also super independent which could be a result of being an only child.

[@r.bullock7392]

Have no idea why the algorithm brought me this video, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for this!

[@AnuelleCheng]

algorithms are helpful to some degree in discovering something new, but when i really want to deep dive, actively looking for those things the old school way hits so different last year i discovered two j-pop groups that i adore so much and their whole discography isn't readily available anywhere so taking the time to find that endeared me even more to them

[@beatrizmineiro1792]

I love that you put a Bo Burnham clip. He's been talking about this for years... you should see his special "Inside"

[@instantpug7036]

My only hope for this trend is that the new one will be moving life back to the real world, in an almost hardcore way. Real life meet-ups will be cooler. Real life events. Reading or knitting together at cafés. People going to true local indie concerts. Secret high fashion gatherings. No uploading of photos. This has to be the next step.

[@NeilEvansRocks]

This video got you a sub. Absolutely 100% bang on the money about everything that’s wrong with the internet right now.

[@verycalifragilistic]

Ashley, your channel is legit scary because you're voicing the thoughts I try to push to the back of my brain and keep being delulu :')))) Also if this helps to anybody: For the last 5 years I have my youtube algorithms turned off due to "enhance youtube" extension, so I mostly find content that I intentionally want to watch. I wish I could do that on instagram too... And for Facebook there's an extension "News feed eradicator" that limits your time on the service

[@tw8464]

Those type of things the governments of the world need to regulate by law the social media platforms etc. Must do. Not letting the billionaires do literally anything they want that is only in their no limits at-all-costs self-serving profit motive that is not anyone's well being in real world.

[@Theslowishdiaries]

Thanks for this video. It’s articulated a lot of what I’ve been feeling for a while! I deleted instagram last week and I’m finding the longer I’m off it the less I want to go back on it. I just got so fed up of feeling like I was just being advertised to!

[@drewa5392]

It's not just algorithms that manipulate us. I noticed opinions on reddit are very different and I think its because you can get down voted. You might speak a truth that isn't very nice or likeable, resulting in punishment. So it's a sugarcoating competition.

[@ElinWinblad]

Reddit deletes a lot of stuff that goes against their own agenda. Try posting something you don’t often see you’ll get banned it’s basically mob rule think of it in real world examples if minorities posted and lived in majority county they’d get ratioed or banned from posting

[@ahstiasummers5583]

Reddit in general is more of a hivemind that punishes those who think outside the box. Regardless of whether or not the box is actually correct in any sense

[@rh9615]

What Reddit are you using?? That's the absolute worst echo chamber on the Internet!

[@PotatoChipChippity]

Reddit has always been a cesspool it's just mainstream now

[@PotatoChipChippity]

I'm really glad you made this comment tho. Because everytime I google something the first thing to pop up is a reddit thread, whether the thread is right or wrong

[@mharris3866]

Great video!! Now to help my teens on overcoming the social media rabbit hoke they have gone down. My 13 yr has always done more than watch reels hes into art and legos...but my 16 yr old OMG there needs an online anonymous group for these kids. The trends he wants....the curly hair products and rountine i here anout multiple times a day is driving me insane. Im trying to teach him lessons with money but he just wants to spend spend spend and then I catch him onnthe ring camera throwing ALL the shirts he got from tiktok in the trash not even wearing most of them..but i do got to say I am proud he has moved on from wanting to be a content creator..now he wants to work with dogs.

[@SorcererDragon]

Tumblr has been stagnant for so long it’s fun in comparison to other social media’s now 😭

[@Modernlionmusicofficial]

A wonderful perspective! Nothing about what we are doing now is organic. I’m glad you’ve got some views on this one; spread the knowledge!

[@KynaTiona]

I think artificial "intelligence" is a bubble set to burst, personally. It's cheap, but it's also wildly incompetent, and is completely reliant on actual people making actual things for it to crib off of. The more of a market share artificial "intelligence" takes up, the more culture starts to homogenize into an unappealing slop, the more people are going to actively avoid it whenever possible. Sooner or later not using artificial "intelligence" will be a highly marketable selling point, and once that happens I doubt the market will ever swing back in favor of artificial "intelligence" again. So like capitalism at large, even if you aren't one of the people who can do anything to stop it, you can at least weather the consequences in the hopes you'll be one of the people who get to outlive it.

[@AlekseyMaksimovichPeshkov]

Well you're right about everything except A.I being cheap. I even heard OpenAI just switched from being a non-profit to being for profit. And remember the data centers.

[@KynaTiona]

@@AlekseyMaksimovichPeshkov Machine art is expensive for the company that develops it. For the companies that commission it, it's so cheap it may as well be free.

[@tristan8922]

I feel conflicted for feeling thankful that the algorithm brought me to this video. Appreciate your take on these subjects. Subscribed.

[@KillKushKat]

What I hate about the algorthm is that is that it used to cater to me but now it’s not the ads I’ve been getting are completely unrelated to me, they’ve tried to sell me breast pumps even though I’m childfree, Invisalign even though I have straight white teeth, and they keep on trying to subliminally make me think that nuclear families are good and it’s so annoying. I don’t hate children but I hate the way they’re being used to try to rope me into behaving like a mother.

[@cookieril]

I'm so glad there are social medias such as Mastodon and Bluesky when those two lack algorithms and the thing I like about them, there's no ads and you pretty much never see people fight or argue with each other.

[@monriatitans]

They're not "AI creators", they're plaigarism lauderers.

[@notreallyafamousartist695]

History will disagree with you in less than 2 years, your viewpoint will be wiped out by the textbook writers. I agree, but unfortunately your viewpoint will be buried

[@tw8464]

This. The government has just quit enforcing America's copyright laws. What's going on is total thievery no limits abuse by the filthy rich Silicon Valley Wall Street billionaires

[@Fantallana]

@@notreallyafamousartist695AI is only going to become more disliked by the masses.

[@bearberryboutique]

This is all so true and makes so much sense. I wish more people enjoyed watching baking shows on netflix as it feels like I wait forever for new seasons of my favorite ones. I have resorted to finding baking shows on youtube now.

[@ulawan5]

The last time I had actual genuine fun on the internet I think has to be invite-only adults-only discord groups I've met some of my closest friends over these. I play incredibly emotionally deep tabletop rpgs, and write truly moving fiction with my friends. The best crowd to be running with in a fandom is ~30 y/o queer women (and adjacent) with established careers some of the most hinged yet hilarious people I have ever met I have to wonder if this is what old school forum culture felt like

[@allyputira3986]

What you were talking about with chornology is something I do really like with tumblr. I have my list of people I am following, and I can look literally just at them. I can also follow specific tags, though because the tags I follow are not very popular they are not readily filled, but tumblr doesn't let me see a tag feed chronologically and their systems really suck at it so I never use it. But it does mean I have the handful of people I follow, I see whatever it is they have shared and then that is it, and after 15 minutes of scolling, that is the whole of the feed for the last third of a day.

[@Alwaysgotsum102say]

Didn’t even start the video and it brings me to the way ppl either over consuming or stealing each others content. I’ve seen like 5 different ppl do the same video, it wasn’t even a trend. They literally stole the original video from an old man. 🥴 Also the algorithm has gotten so wild, I’m seeing actual ppl I follow posts a week from when they originally posted or I’m being shown posts I already liked 3 weeks ago. Outside of that, it’s a bunch of ads.

[@amethystdream8251]

As someone who is passionate about UX/UI design & psychology, even though both fields throw violence at me whenever I try to enter them - chronological order is VERY important for the human brain to make sense & meaning of events. If you want to understand something complex and layered, and many issues in life are like that, then you want to examine the chronological sequence of events. That is what allows a big picture understanding, and more mature perspective on how to approach situations.

[@FridaNordlicht]

interesting topic! I never was sooo early on a video :) Looking forward to it

[@zoe9429]

13:23 THANK YOU!!!!! I’m so picky with my music I will “hide” almost every song in my discover weekly

[@mus1quenonst0p]

i hate that i listen to such niche stuff and am only fed popular crap. it used to be so cool.

[@mus1quenonst0p]

it meaning discovering things on social media, i don’t mean spotify

[@rogerroger9952]

OMG so I don't have any social media (other than KZbin I guess) but I was noticing it was increasingly difficult to find new and good songs on Spotify. I have like 10,000 liked songs and listen to all genres, so you'd think that Spotify could just spit literally anything at me and I'd be fine, which used to be the case when it showed me new stuff, but it hasn't shown me a song I've added to my favourites in months. (I used to add at least one song to my favourites every time I listened to Discover Weekly and sometimes when I played a playlist based on a single song I already liked or playlist recommendations). But now eerything is just so same-y, even on my Discover Weekly. (It's also recommended me AI music where the singing is like listening to someone sing through a cheese grater). Thank you for this video. There's nothing I can do about it, but at least it helps me understand why my Spotify suddenly won't help me branch out anymore, and why some people I know are still stuck in their political echo-chambers.

[@kelseysbookrecs]

That’s been my problem too 😅 I legit texted my friends and had them recommend random artists and now I’m going through their discography

[@HannahJohnson13]

I was in elementary and middle school back in the 2000s, I remember being on platforms like Myspace, GaiaOnline, and others when social media was starting to become popular and when the internet didn't have censorship laws or had zero monetization. Those were definitely times where I feel social media was at it's best when it was strictly to make friends and just enjoying the online atmosphere without being bombarded by ads or curated content. There was so much creative freedom and now it's so curated. I feel like social media definitely started dying when it started to become monetized. Government and corporations found out how to make money off the internet by expanding it's audiences around the globe instead of locally or domestically.

[@HazelJaneTarot]

I've definitely noticed that globalisation of teen slang. Slang is interesting and used to be more regional. Now it is age and Internet based. Ps. I keep physical media (CDs, DVDs) of my favourites. Although I can't easily LEND to a friend any more as no one has a player! So I can enjoy culture but I can't share it.

[@joshprice7527]

excellent video, there are a lot of people who feel the same way. we are on the cusp of a breaking point. hopefully it comes sooner rather than later, i miss the way things used to be.