Are social networks unhealthy for minors?

[malte@radikal.social]

@evan I wanted to say yes, but. But I think the most truthful answer for me is just yes. I think overall they are also unhealthy for adults. They're a fact of our world now, so I am betting on trying to improve them. It is a majro part of why I am on the fediverse.

[mojala@mementomori.social]

@evan Yes but also everyone.

[lori@cambrian.social]

@evan Yes, but the ends don't justify the means IYKWIM

[jfparis@rouge.eu.org]

@evan especially commercial networks and not just for minors

[linza@kamu.social]

@mojala @evan this

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@malte isn't this a social network?

[renata@cosocial.ca]

@evan Social networks are unhealthy, the way they work today.

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@renata like this one?

[renata@cosocial.ca]

@evan Yes. I wish we didn't feel the need to use a social network *at all* but the fact that it's virtually impossible to exist in 2026 without a social network is not a healthy thing.

I'm here because it's the best option available but I wish this was not something necessary.

[renata@cosocial.ca]

@evan I removed myself from The Big Ones and people *don't talk to me anymore*

They don't know how to talk to me. They can't find me if it's not by looking it up on some social network.

Don't you think that's a little weird? If I delete my account here, I'm going to basically disappear.

[danso@mtl.rocks]

@evan@cosocial.ca no but abusing abusive companies are unhealthy for everyone

[jamesmarshall@sfba.social]

@evan not inherently, but platforms that manipulate children's psychology to maximize profit are unhealthy and IMO extremely unethical.

[ben@kwiecien.us]

@evan when I was a kid ten thousand years ago we didn't have these kinds of things, and I feel that young me was better off mentally being able to go home and have zero contact with my peers. Home used to be a safe place from the world, but now the world enters your home. Imagine being a teenager and having to deal with other teenagers after school and at night while in your bedroom and living room

[evan@cosocial.ca]

@renata like methadone?

[kleisli@mastodon.social]

@evan yes, but also for adults

[krosylight@fosstodon.org]

@evan social networks? no. addictive corporate social network? yes. (so no but)

[bjarne@social.bvoigtlaender.de]

@evan No, but their algorithms are and not just for kids.

[kleisli@mastodon.social]

@renata I think we got used to that circle we didn't have before social media. Even with social media platforms usually there is a hand full of closer friends we meet, call or write regularly. And before social media there was the "work circle" maybe a sports club. But there wasn't that huge fuzzy circle of "facebook friends". @evan

[halcy@icosahedron.website]

@evan no, but: websites and apps that optimize for maximum addiction ("engagement") so that they can sell more ads are bad for *everyone*, and *everyone* includes minors. some of those websites are social networks. it's not a wrong statement, but putting the focus on "social network" and "minors" is doubly the wrong focus.

[ricci@discuss.systems]

@evan I'm curious how many people voting on this have young ones (I have a teen, and voted "no but" because they have an incredible social life, largely fueled by keeping in touch with people online, but we have so far restricted them to networks of closed groups, not "open world" social networks, mostly)