> Is it the like/upvote mechanism? Hacker News would constitute harmful social media in that case.
The way I've started to look at it is that all social media has some harmful and some beneficial aspects, but the nexus of identity-based (vs topic-based like HN) social media with upvote/like functionality is the most problematic for people struggling with identity and self worth. Even as someone established enough not to struggle with self-worth, I avoid that type of social media completely.
Topic based social media with clear and enforced guidelines for content seems to have the least bad trade-off between the harmful and the beneficial.
Of course no social media property is exclusively one or the other, but the design and operation of the service strongly influences the direction in which it goes.
The way I've started to look at it is that all social media has some harmful and some beneficial aspects, but the nexus of identity-based (vs topic-based like HN) social media with upvote/like functionality is the most problematic for people struggling with identity and self worth. Even as someone established enough not to struggle with self-worth, I avoid that type of social media completely.
Topic based social media with clear and enforced guidelines for content seems to have the least bad trade-off between the harmful and the beneficial.
Of course no social media property is exclusively one or the other, but the design and operation of the service strongly influences the direction in which it goes.