Has the social media world completely taken over the world of reality?

[Mr.Marion]

I'm going deep with this one , so bear with me.

It's a virtual world individuals create in the image we want to project about ourselves and how they want our world to be

There was a time where people could separate the social media world from reality. Where your fantasy world did not affect who you associated in real life. That world has changed dramatically over time. People in today's social media have let that spill over into the world of reality. Where the virtual world they created controls who they associate and interact in real life. People with long time real world relationships end over what we cannot accept in our social media fantasy world. It's a shame....

We need to come back to reality. To realize the world is not painted in our image, but a blend of different colors. To interact face to face. To accept the pains and sorrows of the real world with the self portrayed virtual perfect world we try and create. To be once again....human

[Blue Meanie]

Hate to used social media...but yeah...I completely agree with what you've said. People these days just don't know how to socially interact at all anymore. One of my favorite Queen songs is about tech evolution:

[enyawd72]

The biggest problem with social media is it feeds the ego. People need constant praise and affirmation of their own opinions, and view anyone who disagrees with them as "the enemy".

Don't like the same movie I like? Then you're a "hater". Like something I don't? Then you're an "apologist" or a "fanboy".

And I don't want to make this political, but many politicians feed off this and use it to sew discourse.
We are literally being divided and turned against each other by those in power whose job is supposed to be to bring us all...the country, and the world, together.

[Mikey]

The only social media I do is Mego Museum forum.

One thing that always leaves me scratching my head is the people on youtube and stuff that video themselves doing everything .. eating every meal, giving info on when they are going out and what they are doing... even just saying what time they are going to bed.

Aren't they afraid a robber might be watching them ?

Actually, I can't imaging anyone but a robber even watching their videos

[cjefferys]

The biggest problem with social media is it feeds the ego. People need constant praise and affirmation of their own opinions, and view anyone who disagrees with them as "the enemy".

Yep, people "liking" your posts, etc. hits your brain right in the reward center, which is why it is so easy for many folks to get addicted to this crap. Hell, just checking one's updates can be enough to get the ol' dopamine flowing.

[Makernaut]

Yep, people "liking" your posts, etc. hits your brain right in the reward center, which is why it is so easy for many folks to get addicted to this crap. Hell, just checking one's updates can be enough to get the ol' dopamine flowing.

And that's a definite fact about why it works. Sean Parker, who was a pretty big contributor to making Facebook what it is, said that is exactly what they were counting on.

"It's a social-validation feedback loop ... exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would come up with, because you're exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology."

https://www.cnet.com/news/sean-parke...an-psychology/

[Klosterheim]

That is an aspect to social media.

That one show on Netflix somewhat shows things like this.

It has changed the world.

I like the media for information, but a lot of it's qualities are bad.

It is good to talk about stuff online, though.

There is too much personal detail on it, that is a negative, when it has bad effects on life outside the internet.

There are many pros and cons, it all depends if it is used or abused.

Maybe amused, haha! (Zardoz)

[Hedji]

Yep, people "liking" your posts, etc. hits your brain right in the reward center, which is why it is so easy for many folks to get addicted to this crap. Hell, just checking one's updates can be enough to get the ol' dopamine flowing.

So, so true. I made a conscious effort to back way off posting personal stuff on my Facebook page. I asked myself, "Why? What am I hoping to gain by sharing this with people who aren't real friends or family? What is the benefit versus the danger of losing privacy, or creating an artificial picture of my life for the world to see?"

I decided to scale way back, and just text my family and friends when I want to share personal stuff. I also came to the conclusion that most people really don't care what my kid has accomplished, or where I'm going on vacation. I mostly lurk now, and enjoy interactions in interest groups.

My favorite social media is for finding out nerd news. I like this forum, my blu ray forum, and listening to podcasts.

[Hedji]

I guess for a lot of people it's a form of escapism and validation.... We may be closer to the Ready Player One future than we think.

[cjefferys]

So, so true. I made a conscious effort to back way off posting personal stuff on my Facebook page. I asked myself, "Why? What am I hoping to gain by sharing this with people who aren't real friends or family? What is the benefit versus the danger of losing privacy, or creating an artificial picture of my life for the world to see?"

I decided to scale way back, and just text my family and friends when I want to share personal stuff. I also came to the conclusion that most people really don't care what my kid has accomplished, or where I'm going on vacation. I mostly lurk now, and enjoy interactions in interest groups.

My favorite social media is for finding out nerd news. I like this forum, my blu ray forum, and listening to podcasts.

Agree with all of this, I feel the same way. Gee, if only there was a way for me to "like" your post.

[Bruce Banner]

One of the most unnerving aspects of social media is how seriously some people treat it. It's their be all and end all. For many, interacting with the world on their monitor has superceded interaction with the real world.

[mego maniac mark]

I pride myself on being anti- social media