why social media isn’t the devil (and why gatekeepers can suck it)
estimated reading time: 5 - 6 min
social media is not the goddamn devil, so let’s all chill the fuck out. in this space of personal websites, indieweb, call it whatever the fuck you want, it seems like everyone and their mother just dogpiles on social media, but other than being a big corpo, is it really that bad? i don’t really think so! if you think social media is the problem, maybe you're just bad at using it. every time something bad happens, social media gets the blame. it’s like blaming a hammer for a nail going through your thumb. why are we turning into our parents, who would blame video games for everything? it’s the same principle…
if you’re out here acting like social media is the reason you yourself, or people are mentally fucked, i need you to relax. i’ll hold your hand very gently while i say this—people would be the same without social media. no one wakes one day and is like “oh, emily from twitter said she’s depressed! i wanna be depressed too!”. shit just doesn’t work that way. social media is a platform where people can voice opinions, share their art, or even start revolutions. it’s not inherently evil—it’s just a mirror reflecting what people choose to put into it. so, no, social media isn’t ruining the world. people are, evil corrupt corpos are the ones that ruin it all. the real problem: people who use it to manipulate the shit out of everyone… but let’s not pretend they wouldn’t do that without social media lol.
the real problem? gatekeepers who want to control everything
let’s talk about the real villains here: the fucking gatekeepers. you know the ones—the media outlets, the rich assholes, the people who decide what you should or shouldn’t see. these motherfuckers act like they have the monopoly on truth, constantly trying to tell you what’s ‘good’ or ‘important.’ fuck that. this is the reason why you should have your own website, true, but you still shouldn’t unnecessarily shit on social media, as such can be incredibly useful. there’s however another type of gatekeepers: the cancel culture freaks—it’s these gatekeepers who want to decide who’s allowed to be ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’ newsflash: you don’t get to pick what’s real for everyone else, or what anyone else said. you’re not the good person you think you are, for digging out someone’s post from 5, 10 years ago where they said something bigoted. while them saying such things is disgusting, there’s a very good chance they have changed as well. life would be much calmer if some of you learned to ignore. don’t give the energy to the people whom won’t change anyways.
social media gives a voice to the people
look, i’m not an activist and do not involve myself into world’s bullshit. maybe i should, but i barely hold it together lol. but that’s besides the point. social media gives the people the voice. before social media, if you didn’t have money, status, or a network of rich assholes behind you, your voice was basically irrelevant. but now? there’s a non-zero chance you can start the change you want to see. isn’t that a good thing? whether you’re a broke artist, someone fighting for what they believe is right, or hell, even an actual asshole. the social media has given us all a megaphone. and the best part? you don’t have to kiss anyone’s ass to get noticed.
social media's dark side is not the whole story
sure, social media isn’t perfect. what the fuck is? there’s fake news, there’s trolling, and there’s definitely some dark shit going down. but let’s be real: these problems aren’t unique to social media. most of those are the part of the internet culture. you, yourself have likely been involved in trolling someone at some point. don’t say you didn’t. i won’t believe you. and about fake news and shit? the traditional media has been feeding us lies, misinformation, and manipulation for years. so, what’s the goddamn difference? just like how you can choose to not buy shitty newspaper, or to not watch the tv, you can also choose who to block. if you want to use social media, just like real world, you need to curate your own space. pretending like social media is the root of all evil is pure laziness. our world is so incredibly fucked, with, or without social media.
it’s about how we use these platforms, how we call out the bullshit, and how we fucking refuse to be controlled. social media is a dumpster pile filled with both batshit insane bitches, and normal fucking people. and which is which, depends entirely on you. no two people are the same. my friend could be your enemy, and vice versa. and that’s okay. people are constantly whining about social media while kissing the asses of the gatekeepers who’ve been fucking up the world for years. social media isn’t the problem. the problem is the way these assholes keep trying to control everything we see…
algorithms: the biggest piece of shit in this whole thing
let’s talk about the real fucking culprit here—algorithms. these soulless, profit-driven monstrosities are the ones really fucking up the game. you think social media is toxic? nah, it’s the algorithm pushing the worst shit to the front page. to get you to engage, which is a goddamn trap, because if you do, another algorithm will think “oh, they like this kind of stuff” and will push even more toxic bullshit into your feed. the algorithm doesn’t give a shit about your mental health, your creativity, or your well-being. all it cares about is engagement. about the profits. that’s it. want to know why you’re stuck in a loop of negative content, misinformation, and mind-numbing shitposts? thank the algorithm. it rewards sensationalism, bullshit, and anything that gets clicks— so maybe don’t fall for the tricks, every social media has a little button “show less”, “not interested” and similar. you have the power to tell that algorithm to fuck off, every time it shows you something that makes you wanna vomit your guts out. another bullshit? it favors the big accounts, the ones who already have a massive following, leaving the rest of us in the dust. yes, social media give you the chance to be heard, but ultimately the algorithm will fuck you in the ass in the end. it’s the ultimate gatekeeper, deciding what you get to see based on what it thinks will make you stay on the platform longer. fuck that.
in the end, social media isn’t the fucking enemy. the real enemy is the assholes who want to control the narrative and silence everyone who doesn’t fit their mold.
got more to say? email me: hi[at]riri[dot]my
posted on: 2025-02-01 05:17 PM