In my experience the short term titillation of somebody “liking “ your post or engaging online is outweighed by the cavernous sense of isolation I feel interacting this way. Nostr is the only social media I have now but I have felt more isolated and alone then I’ve ever felt before I engaged with social media. I’m old enough to remember life without it and I agree with you that it hasn’t been positive for the human race. Or if it has the positive has been dwarfed by the negative IMO. Definitely a double edged sword.
As an analytical person and former psychologist, I’ve always been fascinated by studying human behavior—especially in the digital age. The idea of sharing one’s life online is an entirely new phenomenon, unique to this century.
While reading “Hatching Twitter” (though I’m not convinced we’re getting the real version of that story), one of the early chapters mentions that no one would feel comfortable sharing their life online. Today, that thought seems almost bizarre when you consider how nearly everyone is doing just that. However, I’m left questioning how beneficial this has been for humanity as a whole.
I find myself comparing this to the invention of electricity, which fills me with awe and a sense of advancement. But when it comes to the tech revolution and its effects on the human mind, I have my doubts. The original intention of social media was to make people feel more connected and less alone, but paradoxically, it feels like people are more isolated than ever before.
Last year, I took a significant step back from social media. I shut down my online business, deleted all social media apps from my phone, and nostr:npub1dtgg8yk3h23ldlm6jsy79tz723p4sun9mz62tqwxqe7c363szkzqm8up6m can vouch for this—each time he showed me something from one of those apps, I felt disgusted with what the world had become. During that time, I felt truly free, as if I had finally taken off a mask. However, I also noticed an odd side effect: I felt disconnected from the world. I wasn’t updated on what my friends were doing, and I missed that sense of social interaction, even if it was superficial.
One of the most intriguing aspects of social media is how followers, likes, and engagement seem to dictate people’s sense of worth and relationships. People can become genuinely offended if someone they know unfollows them, to the point where they may not want to maintain an in-person relationship anymore. It’s as if the virtual world is dictating real-life connections: “Oh, you unfollowed me? I guess we can’t be friends in real life.” It’s a strange, almost absurd shift in human interaction.
Another bizarre aspect of social media is the idea that people who don’t resonate with you—or even dislike you—can still follow your life closely. They can see what you think, feel, and do daily. Ex-lovers and people from your past are just one click away from finding out what you’re up to nowadays. This level of access to personal information still feels surreal to me. How much information we handle and share without second thoughts is, frankly, unsettling.
In the end, while social media has undoubtedly changed the way we connect, it raises the question: has it truly improved our lives, or are we more isolated, less authentic, and increasingly detached from genuine human connection?
#FoodForThought #AskNostr
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Discussion
I completely relate to what you're saying. That quick hit of validation from a like or comment fades so fast, and the isolation it leaves behind can feel so deep. It's like we’re more "connected" than ever but somehow more alone too. Social media can definitely be a double-edged sword, and while it’s had some positive moments, the negatives often seem to overpower them. I think finding a balance or even taking breaks is key, but it’s tough when it’s become such a big part of life now.
My wife and I have raised our girls media free but they are in 8th grade now and will start to be introduced to technology as a tool. They have never been on social media. I wanted them to know a life that was not “addicted” to technology. I wonder if it will be an asset to them or a liability in the future when they are surrounded by people who have all grown up and influenced /“indoctrinated” by social media and media in general. I just wanted them to know the difference and be able to be more aware of how it makes them feel vs. someone who has never known any other life other than being on a device and receiving constant input that leaves little to no room for wondering or pondering about something unknown. I heard a speaker at a Bioneers conference say “We are bloated on information yet starving for knowledge”. Truer words have never been spoken IMO.
That’s incredible that you’ve been able to raise your girls media-free up until now. I think giving them that experience of life without the constant buzz of technology will definitely be an asset, especially as they enter a world where almost everyone is so deeply immersed in it. They’ll likely have a different level of awareness and ability to disconnect when needed, which is a rare skill these days.
It’s true what you said about being “bloated on information but starving for knowledge”—so much of what we consume now is surface-level, designed to keep us scrolling rather than truly learning or thinking deeply. Your daughters might have a much clearer understanding of how to process all the input they’ll inevitably face, and hopefully, they’ll navigate it with a bit more intentionality than those who’ve never known a world without constant digital input. It sounds like you’ve given them a strong foundation.
I truly hope so. Thank you.