# Would the world be better without social media? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 21, 2018, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947 "2018-03-21T04:17:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947/21 "2018-03-22T17:01:41Z")
Social media is one of the most effective ways to communicate with selected or targeted groups, including locals, or folks with niche hobbies. NextDoor and many of the hyper-specialized FB groups are wonderful for that, and as someone who’s trying to launch a small home-based business, that’s important to me. ---
**Author:** ![BeenJammin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beenjammin/32/448_2.png) [@BeenJammin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeenJammin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947/22 "2018-03-22T17:08:38Z")
Social media is just the vehicle. As with actual “vehicles,” the problems typically revolve around the driver (users). Social media just gives miscreants a tool with which to do their online antics. Zuckerberg is presently considering how he might manage Facebook in a DMV-derived business model. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947/23 "2018-03-22T18:19:36Z")
[How soon we forget.](http://web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/mcluhan.mediummessage.pdf) (pdf) ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947/24 "2018-03-22T19:41:34Z")
The Atlantic usually has good content, that article was pure garbage. I’m sure it was recycled from a 1980’s article about video games ruining people or perhaps a 1990s article about AOL ruining people. Social media can be an excellent tool, it can also be full of garbage. For me, it’s a net good. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947/25 "2018-03-22T23:38:12Z")
We’d all best agree to disagree but before leaving the thread let me add: (1) For a _mature adult_ to refute with “social media is on-balance a plus for me” is to miss, astonishingly miss, the whole point of the _Atlantic_ article which was specific to _impressionable youth_. (2) I wonder what those who think that _Atlantic_ article is too dystopic would think of [“How America lost its mind”](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/how-america-lost-its-mind/534231/). ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947/26 "2018-03-23T00:31:12Z")
Strangely enough, a similar topic came up just today on [Full Frontal Nerdity](http://ffn.nodwick.com/?p=1715) ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947/27 "2018-03-23T08:34:51Z")
Better without? For adults, no, social media are almost indispensable now. But for kids the picture is murkier. I can’t imagine the pressure that kids are under, they live or die (literally in some cases) by the gauge of social media, especially as weaponized by bullies. So I do think that young kids would be better off without. An age restriction of 21 would be good although probably impractical as it would be almost impossible to enforce. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947/28 "2018-03-23T09:00:24Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Better without? For adults, no, social media are almost indispensable now. I really don’t think this is true. Remove all social media tomorrow and I don’t see a huge problem. There are clearly a good few adults on this thread that manage perfectly well without it. Me included and I’m pretty cutting edge in most technological respects. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947/29 "2018-03-23T16:25:13Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > There are clearly a good few adults on this thread that manage perfectly well without it. :dubious: This thread _is_ [social media:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media) > [@Wikipedia](#): > > Social media are computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks. The variety of stand-alone and built-in social media services currently available introduces challenges of definition; however, there are some common features: > > 1. Social media are interactive Web 2.0 Internet-based applications. > > 2. User-generated content, such as text posts or comments, digital photos or videos, and data generated through all online interactions, is the lifeblood of social media. > > 3. Users create service-specific profiles for the website or app that are designed and maintained by the social media organization. > > 4. Social media facilitate the development of online social networks by connecting a user’s profile with those of other individuals or groups. The Dope exhibits all of these features. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947/30 "2018-03-23T18:45:21Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > :dubious: > > This thread _is_ [social media:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media) I don’t think so. In any case this is the only message board that I post to, the only fleeting glimmer of “social media” even allowing for that rather nebulous definition and as interesting as it can be sometimes if it ended tomorrow it would not impact me one jot, I wouldn’t go looking for anything to replace it. So my point stands, I’d manage perfectly well without any social media at all. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947/31 "2018-03-23T18:53:16Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > :dubious: > > This thread _is_ [social media:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media) > > The Dope exhibits all of these features. I suppose that technically I’ve been friended by one or two people here, but I have no idea what that means or what purpose it’s supposed to serve. But in any case I could very easily stop posting here and be fine - the dope and other message boards and comment sections are hardly ‘indispensable’ to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-the-world-be-better-without-social-media/810947.md?page=1)