Member-only story
Social Media Soapbox
Social media is not so social anymore
There was a time in the 2000s when Facebook was fun. A platform where people posted personal posts like, “We’re going to the concert in the park. Anyone want to join us?” Or photos of family vacations. Even pictures of their lunch.
It wasn’t great literature, and the food photos got old, but it was harmless for the most part. I often posted humorous posts and got several funny responses. I enjoyed checking Facebook.
Eventually, Facebook introduced the share button, which allowed people to share other people’s posts. Even things outside of Facebook became fair game. Personal posts began to decline, and sharing began to increase (“Check out these memes and videos!”)
Business and self-promotion took off.
Then things got even worse.
Facebook became a soapbox for political ranting and the advancing of every possible agenda. Shares far outnumbered personal thoughts. And when people did actually write a post, it was often political.
The “social” aspect of social media has become an endangered species.
Although most social media platforms allow you to hide posters or dismiss posts, they are simply bandaids on a seriously wounded…
