I feel like we all know that social media is problematic. It grew into a monster that has taken over our lives. It steals our joy by giving us inaccurate depictions of other people's lives. It filters photos and causes us to wonder why our skin doesn't look like that. It creates a "safe place" for people to say god awful things to others that they would never say face to face. It is linked to depression and low self esteem in teens and young adults. It draws us to our phones and keeps us from experiencing the reality around us. And the worst part? It's for other people to profit off of. People like Mark Zuckerberg, and other Meta stockholders (many of whom are elected politicians), are profiting off apps that are harmful to people, communities, and our culture as a whole.
Seeing an attack on Tiktok, an app that can also be problematic but actually has legitimate value, is what really pushed me over the edge. Taking away the app that I use for advice on raising children, running a business, cooking, marriage, travel, and interior design while allowing apps like Facebook and Instagram is what I needed to make my final decision.
I will not miss the woman-bashing posts. I will not miss the conspiracy theory posts. And I certainly will not miss the "copy and paste this post to prove that you love Jesus" posts.
There has a to be a better way and I hope we can figure this out for the sake of our mental health as a country.
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