The movement of abandoning (or canceling) social media isn’t something new, but recent reports show it has increased, both in the number of migrants and in the number of platforms losing users.
The reasons are varied.
Essentially, the best-known and most used social networks have adopted strategies that prioritize financial results at the expense of their users. The worsening impact on mental health is undeniable, especially the impact on anxiety and social comparison.
The platforms want metrics and profit, even if the users, their well-being, and mental health are affected. The social media experience has become an endless stream of triggers for engagement, likes, clicks, artificial beauty, and make-believe success. And sales. Lots of sales.
We increasingly know that this is no coincidence and that algorithms are at the root of it. Of course, algorithms don’t have a life of their own and only do what they are created or programmed to do. And algorithms have been constantly manipulated to manipulate users. To disregard private data, to create advertising avalanches, to highlight misinformation, and even to remove fact-checking tools.
Sensationalist and false content causes outrage, anger, arguments, and conflict. And it generates buzz which, according to the metrics demanded by the market and brands, is more important than creating meaningful connections.
X (formerly Twitter) is an obvious case. The platform’s political leanings have aligned with those of its owner, Elon Musk. It has increased misinformation, prioritized the dissemination of political propaganda, and, more recently, manipulated the AI associated with X so that Musk always comes across as the biggest and best at everything.
Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, removed fact-checking tools and encouraged the proliferation of hate speech, decreasing security for vulnerable users.
TikTok, which was sold due to alleged fears of Chinese exploitation of the platform, now has, under its new owner, an algorithm that censors the word “Epstein.” This creates an environment perceived as “toxic” and likely to worsen.
I believe everyone still remembers when social media and, later, streaming platforms replaced more traditional media like TV or cable, largely due to a weariness with so much advertising. Nowadays, we deal with monetization strategies that are bad for brands and consumers, and that only generate revenue for digital platforms, no matter what.
What do I mean by this? Digital platforms charge brands for ads and charge users not to see them. The Instagram, Facebook, or X feed itself has more ads and suggested profiles than posts from friends or people or brands we choose to follow.
Will this be the end of authenticity? If we maintain our focus on these platforms, we will be encouraging the performance of best moments, the perfect versions of life. And all those who follow and try to imitate just to fit in. You need to understand what entertainment is and what a generation of pseudo-content is, which grabs attention and generates incredible metrics… and mediocre experiences, disappointments, and frustrations.
Our private data is not safe. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, and there’s no such thing as free use of networks like X, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok. The price isn’t measured only financially. Users pay with their data and their mental health.
So, should we abandon social media altogether?
No, of course not. We don’t abandon our diet altogether because we’ve tasted a meal that made us sick. We change ingredients or restaurants.
Many people have sought other social platforms, alternatives that encourage ethical behavior, true connections and friendships, and smaller-scale interactions.
People don’t want more content; they want better content, with better connections. They want a different connection with friends, acquaintances, and strangers who share something interesting, and with brands that reflect their tastes and values. And they want light entertainment without the level of absurdity or challenges that can harm their health.
People want more meaning and more connection.
They want to be masters of their private data and their health.
And they don’t want to be held hostage by algorithms that decide what they see or who sees what they share.
And they don’t want to live in arguments or bombarded by hate speech and misinformation. Or constant advertising.
That’s why they seek decentralized platforms, controlled by the user and without ads.
Mastodon, Substack, Behance, Medium, Bluesky, Friendica, Lemmy, Pixelfed, BeReal, Peertube are some examples.
Not everyone has the time or patience to test new platforms; it’s not so simple to think that one will…I’m changing platforms and ceasing to interact with people on those social networks. It’s not simple, but it’s not impossible.
A few months ago, I published an article about this challenge of migrating to other platforms. It should be gradual, something that preserves the type of behavior we have and want to have on digital platforms.
Instead of thinking about something tragic like cancellation, it would be more realistic to think about selectivity. If we don’t go to places where we aren’t treated well or don’t have good experiences, what makes us insist on being present in virtual environments that we know aren’t positive?
