Social media — more and more people just can’t be bothered.
What on earth is going on with these platforms?
Instagram has reduced the number of hashtags you can use from 30 down to 5. What’s all that about? Facebook has long been criticised for censoring posts and limiting certain viewpoints. YouTube has even cancelled successful channels without warning — in one well-known case, a woman’s thriving business disappeared overnight and she had to take the platform to court.
A surprising number of people now say to me, “I can’t be bothered by all of this — I don’t want anything to do with Facebook.”
Some cringe watching others cling to social media as if it’s the only thing giving their lives meaning. There’s a sense that many people are trying to prop up their lives with online validation they never had in the real world.
Others avoid social platforms because of the scams and risks involved. A local musician once had the whole pub laughing when he said, “We’ve got a special so good that we’re going to advertise it on Facebook Marketplace.” The joke landed because everyone understood the reputation.
Take a look at Facebook Marketplace and you’ll hear countless stories of dodgy dealings and crime. Some people have even been accosted in real life after meeting someone through it.
And then there are those who have never even bothered with Instagram at all.
AI slop is killing it for millions.
So what’s happening here?
The big tech companies behind social media want constant content because it feeds their business model. The more people post, the more advertising they can pour into the mix. More attention equals more profit. But the quality of what we see seems to be declining year by year. With AI-generated, recycled material flooding feeds, originality feels harder to find.
So what can we do about it?
Some will leave these platforms entirely. Others may simply reduce their time on them. One practical step is turning off notifications — those little alerts designed to drag you back in again and again. LinkedIn, in particular, is a major offender, sending streams of junk notifications throughout the day. That’s one many people are ready to eliminate.
Yes, some use social media to promote their products or services. They’re told this is the road to riches. There are success stories, but for the average person it often makes more sense to build real networks and keep a solid contact book. Then there are the Instagram “guru” promoters promising more likes and followers — provided you pay handsomely for their secrets.
So the real question is this: Does social media still serve a meaningful purpose in your life — or has it simply become noise?
Perhaps it’s time to ask whether social media serves us… or whether we’re serving it.
