I was never really one for social media to begin with, and I guess that probably plays a role in my thinking as well, but ultimately I think Hive is the healthiest overall platform I've seen since the advent of social media.
Immutable Blockchain, Author and Curation Rewards
If you're here, chances are there's nothing I can say about this you don't already know. While these things are factors in why I love @ecency / #hive, this is not why I choose to use Hive - exclusively.
Positive Community
I’m not suggesting that there isn’t bad stuff on the Hive blockchain, but what I can tell you with certainty is that it’s been almost a year here for me now, and although I’ve never really looked for bad stuff, it’s also never been just dropped into my feed.
When I scroll my Hive feed, I see stories about nature, about cryptos, about life around the globe. I see engagement and friends, art, photography and music, etc. I get a real uplifting vibe just being here.
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Clean Content
The history of how I came to Hive has been covered in other posts, so I'm not going to review my social media history before/prior to Hive here today - but if you want more background, feel free to go to the Albus Index and check out the #whoisalbuslucimus section, it's all there.
...But after starting Hive, I did eventually start branching out to other social media sites. I was interested in participating in the POSH initiative, which I do think is really cool and definitely has the potential to make a big impact here on our beloved blockchain - unfortunately though, I don't think I will be adding to it, and the reasoning comes down solely to the damaging effects of being on these other feeds...again, this is my personal perspective, but we all have to make our own assessments and choices in the end.
First things first, I want to be super clear that, what works or doesn't work for me, well, may not be the same is it is for others...this is just my stance on things based on my own personal makeup. Temptation is an inward phenomenon. That is to say, the object of temptation cannot be held accountable for the occurence of temptation - but still, to stand in the face of that which tempts the mind and hope to overcome temptation with will power alone is somewhat foolish...for me, at least. …my old friends and I used to call that dancing with the devil. It's best to avoid entirely those things that would lure the mind into dangerous waters.
I hold no illusions about it; it's my own fault I can't use these other services. The problem is, if you're tempted to click on a reel or post of a particular type, these little interactions appear to be integrated into your feed - whether you follow the poster or not. I know you can turn safe mode on, but the trouble is, you can also turn it off. I'm not suggesting that content should be restricted full-time or anything like that, nor am I saying anything negative about these other social media sites. In order to tell the story, I have to admit openly, I did open one of these posts. I closed it almost as soon as it opened, but the image lingered in my mind...and on my feed! After loading that one post, I started seeing these show up like one in 20 on my feed. I further admit, I clicked on one more the next day - only for a second and then I regained self control and closed the app, but after that my feed was too laden with these things to see clearly past them all. The thing is, that’s how this is designed. If you show the slightest touch of interest in something, you’ll get more of it - so if you’re already someone who struggles with self-regulation, these interfaces are designed to trip you up, to drag you down rabbit holes to your own personal echo chamber hell. (EDIT: I have to say, since I’m using so many religion buzzwords, my sentiment comes from a place of mental health, not faith or religion of any kind - I am quite unaffiliated with any organized faith.) It is for this reason that I wrote this post, and said goodbye to these apps that are too well engineered to feed on our own subconscious habits and desires.
Some people have more self control, and some just aren't lured or tempted by these things. It's just that, for me, it's best not to have these apps installed at all. Know your weaknesses and play to your strengths, right?
WARNING: Potentially offensive or triggering content below.
[EDIT: Removed example content; it’s inclusion felt counter to the intent of the post.]
…anyway I think that’s enough, you get my point. It seems these other social media are just teeming with regular people who are all cashing in on the sex sells paradigm. I’m not judging those who do it, nor those who succumb to it. People are beautiful, it’s easy to obsess when there’s a veritable treasure trove of beautiful real women stripping for free, paid only by upvotes.
Imagine, for teen and college age boys; when the girls are doing this, what happens to the future of relationships? It’s not the girls’ fault and no one in particular is to blame, but is he more likely to accept the challenge of getting to know the girl who sits across from him in class as the complex and special woman she is? Or is he going to figure out her IG handle so he can ‘take care of things’ himself, risk and commitment free, until something new comes along? As sexy as all this new tech seems on the surface, I fear it points towards a desolate and depressing future for society at large. For now though, all I care about is that I need to steer clear personally, and that I raise my daughters to build their foundations on stronger merits than looks alone.
Where do you stand on these things? Do you use other social media? Do you find you're able to control the contents of your feed in these other apps without too much difficulty? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for checking out some more of my work! As always, I hope you enjoyed witnessing as much as I enjoyed creating!
© Photos and words by @albuslucimus, except where otherwise indicated.
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