Media is shared information, including text. Traditional media is created by institutions like newspapers and mass broadcast. Social media changed that so that anyone can create the information. When we write comments here, we are creating short pieces of media and sending them out to be read.
I find this conversation, about what social media is, and whether some kinds of social media can be healthy, highly interesting, important even.
I also think it's important that we on HN are aware that we're engaging in social media because any time this conversation comes up, there's lots of people saying that they don't use social media, they only use HN, which leads to feeling superior to people on other forms of social media. I don't think that's valid or healthy.
If you or I use HN for 30-60 minutes everyday and we find utility in that, there's no difference to a teenager using TikTok for the same time, we don't get to feel superior or talk about social media addiction without being aware that includes us.
Tiktok has a bad rep but it has some pretty great content too, informative, well produced. Same with YouTube.
> I also think it's important that we on HN are aware that we're engaging in social media because any time this conversation comes up, there's lots of people saying that they don't use social media, they only use HN, which leads to feeling superior to people on other forms of social media. I don't think that's valid or healthy.
> If you or I use HN for 30-60 minutes everyday and we find utility in that, there's no difference to a teenager using TikTok for the same time, we don't get to feel superior or talk about social media addiction without being aware that includes us.
No, I do feel superior: I'm being challenged, and I'm having to articulate my ideas and points of view.
When you're on tv/tiktok/instagram/youtube you're consuming something that's been prepared for you. Whether the content is informative or well produced is irrelevant to my point.
Totally different when it comes to how much critical thinking you need to exercise for those two activities.
I find this conversation, about what social media is, and whether some kinds of social media can be healthy, highly interesting, important even.
I also think it's important that we on HN are aware that we're engaging in social media because any time this conversation comes up, there's lots of people saying that they don't use social media, they only use HN, which leads to feeling superior to people on other forms of social media. I don't think that's valid or healthy.
If you or I use HN for 30-60 minutes everyday and we find utility in that, there's no difference to a teenager using TikTok for the same time, we don't get to feel superior or talk about social media addiction without being aware that includes us.
Tiktok has a bad rep but it has some pretty great content too, informative, well produced. Same with YouTube.