Re:Social media promised connection, but it has delivered ex...
by camgunz on Saturday September 13, 2025 @07:51AM
(#45231337)
There's two distinguishing characteristics:
One: algorithmic feeds (etc) are engineered to addict you
Two: virality stats (views and likes) allow senders to hone message effectiveness based on a message's structure (funny GIF, misspelling, "this you", etc), completely separate from its content (white supremacy, authoritarian communism, etc)
This is why Reddit is maybe barely social media, and HN, other forums, IRC, etc, aren't.
One: algorithmic feeds (etc) are engineered to addict you
Two: virality stats (views and likes) allow senders to hone message effectiveness based on a message's structure (funny GIF, misspelling, "this you", etc), completely separate from its content (white supremacy, authoritarian communism, etc)
This is why Reddit is maybe barely social media, and HN, other forums, IRC, etc, aren't.