Social media promised connection, but it has delivered exhaustion

Early “authentic” era vs. algorithmic era

• Several commenters recall early Facebook / Twitter as feeling more “authentic”: real-life friends, chronological feeds, no ads or virality mechanics.
• Others argue it was never truly authentic; self-presentation was performative from the start, and “romance of authenticity” was marketing spin.
• Many locate the turning points at the introduction of “like” buttons, sharing/retweets, and the news feed.

Algorithms, monetization, and business models

• Strong consensus that algorithmic, engagement-optimized feeds plus ad-based monetization are the core problems: ragebait, polarization, and addiction follow from incentives.
• Voting and ranking systems (likes, upvotes) are seen as good for growth but harmful to nuanced conversation.
• Some describe social media today as “social marketing” or “gossip engines,” with users as ad inventory rather than participants.

Echo chambers, radicalization, and mental health

• Social media is likened to dense cities: stressful and noisy but people stay for opportunity and habit.
• Echo chambers are seen as both product of algorithms and of interest-based communities themselves; even smaller forums and HN are acknowledged as bubbles.
• Commenters describe doomscrolling, political rage, and “tension addiction,” with platforms delivering alternating outrage and cute distraction.
• Some emphasize personal responsibility and “maturity” in unhooking; others compare it to drugs, noting that most don’t manage their use well.

Old internet, forums, and small communities

• Many nostalgically praise Usenet, IRC, blogs, niche forums, MySpace-era communities: fewer ads, slower pace, reputation-based interaction.
• Key advantages cited: topic focus, smaller size (Dunbar-like limits), chronological ordering, and active moderation.
• There’s debate over whether these spaces were really better or just had different pathologies (power-tripping mods, flame wars).

Mastodon, fediverse, and “no algorithm” claims

• Some praise Mastodon’s chronological feeds and lack of engagement-driven recommendations as “wholesome.”
• Others point out it still has trending and recommendation features; argue the issue isn’t algorithms per se but their goals (addiction vs. utility).

AI slop, inauthenticity, and “last days” framing

• Widespread frustration with AI-generated videos, fake trailers, and synthetic “personal stories” clogging platforms.
• Skepticism that social media is actually dying: users tolerate very low quality, and new forms (Discord, group chats, fediverse, niche apps) keep arising.

Design and regulation ideas

• Proposals: ban algorithmic feeds for public discourse; default to chronological; cap following counts; paid/verified communities; instance-level blocking; user-controlled algorithms.
• Others highlight authenticity mechanisms (identity and credential verification) as crucial to fight bots and misinformation.
• A minority stresses the real benefits: keeping distant family and friends connected, finding niche communities, and argues for reform, not abandonment.