For those who hate social media, how would you reform it?

[urr13 account]

Reset internet speeds back to however it was on 9/11, reset all computer/cell phone technology back to however it was on 9/11.

 

[DoomsdayElite]

I wouldn't reform it. I would destroy it.

 

[CumDumpster]

Destroy social media, outlaw cellular communications. The latter's the only way to ail the cellphone problem while flying under the first sale doctrine.
If you don't think cellular communications have anything to do with social media, then why did it explode in popularity as soon as the iPhone started getting into people's hands?

 

[Dagoth AMOGUS]

Simple, the code that creates the algorithm and shows how the site runs is publicly viewable.

Now, to your average boomer, they couldn’t make sense of code. But trusted geeks would be able to discern if the algorithm is shadow banning others or needlessly censoring content that breaks no local or international laws. And talking heads on Fox would say that, yes in fact, you are being discriminated against for your race or sex or political views on social media.

It’s the same as a citizen asking where their tax money goes, or what is put in their food. People rely upon social media. It needs to be as transparent as a ghost.

 

[COME ON OUT YOU RAPIST]

Reforming it is heavy-handed and I believe that heavy-handedness is what actually causes problems. I would rather have more laissez-faire sites like 4chan or Tiktok than Reddit.

 

[⚞⛇⚟]

In addition to things other people said here, I would a bunch of reactions. Not everything requires a written response, and having 10 different reactions is better than the ratio system of Xitter and even the like/dislike system of other social medias. Also, it's really funny when people get mad at reactions even though they don't affect anything other than a number below their post.
The only issue with reactions is that a lot of people read ~1-2 sentences of the post, view the reactions, and then just agree with whatever the reactions say. The only way to solve it that I can think of is by maybe having reactions stay invisible until someone has reacted to a post.
Also bring back forum signatures.

 

[GeorgeFloydFentanylStash]

Ban all troons, feminists, and leftist activists.

 

[Space Police]

Kill the bots, make it strictly SFW, make it optimized for computers first and phones second, make it so that you have to be willing to learn light HTML and CSS to participate, and ensure all discussion is high-quality enough and on topic so that posting meaningless coal and dust is discouraged.

 

[Doktor Grimm]

Remove infinite scroll. Generate user feeds in chronological order, Bluesky style. Force new users to write an 800-word essay on a randomly selected topic before their signup is approved to check for basic literacy skills.

The last one will never happen though so we should probably just pull the plug.

 

[Shig O'nella]

While my personal preference is dynamite, a more destructive fix would be a simple timer.

You follow someone, and don't interact with their content for two or three weeks, your follow gets automatically removed. Move the whole thing back to SOCIAL, aka talking to each other.

 

[Power Ranger Monster]

Post words will be replaced be every slur imaginable.

 

[Caddo Cobgang]

anti-trust laws to prevent any site from getting too big, basically force forum culture of the 2000s

 

[BradeRunna]

I would just get rid of it. Also round up and execute anyone who tries to bring it back.

 

[Nero Fiddled]

Put enforced minimum age limits on it.

I'm thinking 55.

 

[Neodanthril]

No degenerates, no porn, iq tests. Algorithm tweaking to promote posts that encourage positive behaviors and social well-being

 

[Epic Fail Man]

There is no option to reform social media, let alone the internet as well. Internet is dying, I'm already preparing to spend my time reading books and going to libraries instead. RIP big I Internet.

 

[Flavius Claudius Julianus]

I actually quite like social media if it involves genuinely enthusiastic/talented people sharing their work/hobbies/skills/art, etc. However.

I fucking HATE people who use it for attention only. This is almost always women using it in a 'look at my tits' way, or edgy alt-girls teasing in much of the same way. A male analogue, if you could call it that, would be teenage reel bros overrusing 'POV' 'tfw' and other shitty memes with stuff that doesn't matter at all.

Literally kill yourself if you identify with the above.

 

[Prokhor Zakharov]

Nuke it off the face of the earth.

 

[Kovachs]

I would make it so that you have to contribute crypto in order to post, but when people reply to you you gain crypto. I think that would incentivize long form discussion, and also make for some really funny bait posts.

 

[soup peddler]

I feel like the underlying problem is everyone having a social media capable computer on them 24/7, 365. Since the advent of smart phones and tablets, the "internet" doesn't feel like a discrete object you can get up and walk away from anymore. It follows you around everywhere. That's a lot of why social media feels so real to people.