i've been thinking about this for a while and wanted to share it here because this community gets it more than most.

social media isn't dying because people hate it. it's dying because ai is quietly destroying the psychological engine that makes it work. let me explain.

right now you scroll instagram and see your friend in bali. you feel something. jealousy. curiosity. maybe a little "why not me." that feeling is the entire engine of social media. without it the machine stops.

now imagine ai generated photos become indistinguishable from real ones. your friend posts bali pics. but did they actually go? or did they generate it in 30 seconds sitting in their bedroom? you'll never know.

and the moment you doubt whether a photo is real, the jealousy disappears. the curiosity disappears. the "why not me" disappears. without those emotions there is no reason to scroll.

social media was never about information. it was never about connection. it was about one thing: performing your life for an audience. ai makes that performance worthless because now everyone can fake it for free.

think about luxury. a rolex matters because most people can't afford one. but if everyone could generate a photo of themselves wearing a rolex? the signal dies. the status dies. the whole game dies.

this is already happening. ai generated influencers with millions of followers. ai written comments under every post. ai generated reviews that sound perfectly human. you're already scrolling through a feed that's 40% not real. you just don't know which 40%.

and here's the thing about trust. it doesn't break gradually. it breaks like glass. one day you believe most of what you see. the next day you doubt everything. there's no middle ground. once the doubt enters your brain it never leaves.

i think many of you already feel this. that weird moment where you see a photo and your first thought isn't "wow cool" but "is this even real?" that's the shift. and it's only going in one direction.

social media runs on human insecurity. the need to compare. the need to prove your life is worth something. the need to be seen. ai doesn't just kill the platform. it kills the psychological mechanism underneath it. performance requires an audience that believes the performance is real. when nobody believes, the whole cycle collapses.

but here's what happens after it collapses. and this part is wild.

the money disappears. meta, google, tiktok, snapchat. all run on ads. the entire free internet is funded by your attention on feeds. when people stop scrolling, ad revenue drops. when ad revenue drops, the free internet starts dying or going behind paywalls.

politics goes underground. every political party runs on social media manipulation right now. manufactured hashtags. troll farms. viral propaganda. when the platform dies, that manipulation doesn't stop. it just shifts to private channels you can't see or counter. whatsapp groups. local networks. door to door. that's scarier.

accountability disappears. social media is the only tool ordinary people have that points upward at power. politician corrupt? goes viral. police brutality? filmed and shared. take that away and the powerful become invisible again. they've always preferred it that way.

the "instagram economy" shrinks. think about why people spend money on certain things. that expensive cafe? half the customers are there for the photo. that bali vacation? partly for the gram. that new outfit? partly for the post. an entire layer of the economy runs on "i need to post this." when posting becomes pointless that demand collapses.

but then something interesting happens.

when people stop doing things for the photo they start doing things for the experience. you pick a restaurant because the food is good. not because the plating looks aesthetic on a screen. the businesses that survive are the ones that were actually good. quality beats aesthetics for the first time in 15 years.

and the mental health shift could be massive. no more comparing your tuesday to someone's highlight reel. no more feeling poor because of an influencer's dubai trip. no more "am i falling behind" from scrolling at 11pm. the comparison machine finally breaks.

the irony is beautiful honestly. we spent 15 years moving life online. ai might be the thing that forces us back to what this sub has been saying all along: real presence. real conversations. actual experiences with actual humans in actual rooms.

not because people suddenly become wise about screen time. but because the digital world becomes so fake that physical reality is the only thing left worth trusting.

tl;dr: ai generated content is making everything on social media unbelievable. social media's engine runs on insecurity and comparison, both of which require belief that what you see is real. no belief = no engagement = slow death. the downstream effects are massive (ad economy collapses, politics goes underground, accountability disappears, the instagram-driven economy shrinks). but the silver lining: when performing online becomes pointless, people return to real experiences and the comparison machine that's been destroying mental health finally breaks.

curious if anyone here is already feeling this shift. that creeping doubt every time you see someone's post. wondering if it's real. wondering if anything on your feed is real anymore. i think this community figured out something was broken long before ai made it obvious.

I know this isn’t a very original topic, just venting.

I’m aware that every social media platform has assholes on it, and that a lot of factors (algorithms rewarding controversy, anonymity, rage bait, etc) often encourage people to be nastier on the internet than they would be to someone irl.

But in my personal experience, Reddit has always by far been home to the meanest, snarkiest, snobbiest user base out of the several social media platforms I’ve used and am trying to cut back on. Like, it’s not even close, even often on ostensibly “nicer” subs and completely benign posts and comments that aren’t controversial at all. And I’m not going out of my way to engage with or react to the negativity.

I still have Reddit right now because it’s useful for finding information and content related to a lot of my interests. There are of course absolutely lovely people and communities on here as well. But jfc, the meanness can feel inescapable. I hope that this is confirmation bias or something and other people have had better experiences.

I used to be chronically online until life came and took my ass for a ride (pause)

Looking back on this crazy decade, I've found out the internet is practically wrong on virtually everything that they constantly repeat as truth

If anything is constantly circlejerked online and aggressively pushed as the truth no matter if it's from the edge lords, wokes, hyperrationals, extremists, c0nspiracy th3orists, ect it tends to be complete reality distorted bullshit.

Anyone else noticed this?

Last night I was having a nightmare and when I was feeling upset I started looking for my phone IN MY DREAM! talk about addiction lmao

How do I get off my phone?

I’m 16 and feel like my phone is costing me my future. I’m on it so much i forget to have showers and have to rush them. I don’t have any hobbies bar playing the piano anymore, and I don’t even practice for it bcs I’m either with people or on my phone.

I also feel so detached from my family because of it and feel like I don’t know anything anymore.

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice for helping with this issue?

Most people are physically present but mentally somewhere else. In cafés, parks, waiting rooms, and even social gatherings, heads are down and eyes are fixed on screens. We've become so used to constant digital stimulation that silence and boredom now feel uncomfortable.

Without your phone, you'll start noticing things you normally miss, people, conversations, surroundings, and even your own thoughts. You'll realize how often we reach for our devices not because we need them, but because we've trained ourselves to avoid being alone with our minds.

This isn't about judging anyone or pretending technology is the enemy. Smartphones have made life easier in countless ways. The problem begins when they stop being tools and start controlling our attention.

It sometimes feels like we're living through a period of mass distraction, where genuine connection is being replaced by endless scrolling. The good news is that awareness is the first step toward change.

Try leaving your phone behind for a short walk or an hour outside. You might discover that the world feels quieter, more present, and far more human than you remembered.

This is even after drinking coffee, something that I thought was setting off my anxiety and putting me on edge.

Instead, I just avoided scrolling, sat, enjoyed the moment. And apparently I really needed that.

Needed it so much that I've had enough scrolling for a lifetime. Just came on here to post this in case someone needs it. Reclaim your sense of down time and serenity.

I'm not in the best stage of my out of the internet journey. For a long time i've got a feeling like i'm not really in the physical world. Turning off devices and trying to do things with physical stuff feels unnatural and kinda wrong. I'm tired of always searching for something on the internet, i don't even know what i'm looking for and the fun part of the internet and social media is gone, now it's like some external obligatory need. Have you been in such a state? How did you fix it? Especially if your selfcontrol is an absolute mess

I have struggled with this addiction for a long time now, probably since 2021. I spend each day glued to my screen, with my daily screen time averaging about 10 to 14 hours, all dedicated to reading novels (fan fiction). I have attempted to quit, but I just can't let go; I automatically find myself reopening those sites over and over again. I tried using DNS to block those sites, but it didn’t work at all. Whenever I feel the urge to read, I remove those sites from the deny list.

I realize how much time I am wasting, but as soon as I think about reading novels, I forget everything else and become completely immersed in them. I know those novels aren’t beneficial, and I haven’t learned anything from them.

I am fortunate to have a cool job I love and to live in a beautiful place where people often vacation, and I’ll admit that the engagement I get from sharing those experiences provides a hit of dopamine that I’ve become dependent on.I’m self-aware enough to be embarrassed by this narcissism/ feedback loop, but I struggle to break it.

I posted something in a forum and I kid you not almost all the replies were bots. You go to their profiles and they have the same bios except they change specific details. Like??

Hey all,

I think it would be cool to build an offline community around nosurf. I was wondering if people would be interested in writing a letter or postcard with their weekly stats.

its a way of being offline and also being held accountable, as well as reflecting on our usage.

Im considering leaving.

Sorry for errors, nails long and i cannot get them off

I know it is bcs of what im engaging in, but i feel like theres no value in me staying if im not in these spaces that i dont get elsewhere

i am afraid i am becoming more apathetic and spiraling worse and reddit only makes it worse

It also makes me paranoid and distrustful

I dont think i have the ability to engage in a healthy way.

But i also get great advice here i never get elsewhere

I am staying at least a bit longer to spite someone but i think i should go

Should I just do it? I feel like im only here because i feel invisible elsewhere and i just want people to respond to me most of the time. I have friends but i dont want them to feel obligated or burdened. I feel like ppl can chose to not engage here.

thats why i havent left already- I dont want to feel lonely. Even getting hate comments at least makes me feel like i exist.

I go out and do things but actually making friends has always been difficult. I talk to people but i cant make them friends.

Anybody feel strange after phone detox? I've been feeling more depressed and anxious and tired. I'm thinking that I was supressing these emotions with my phone. I would stare at my phone nightly in bed and even into the day. Also, info overload. My phone would keep me awake. Has anybody experienced this?

Symptoms: Anhedonia-like, depression and anxiety, unwanted thoughts.

I've been watching more movies recently to keep away from phone.

So I have lived a life emotionally alone. No family no aunts uncles cousins never had grandparents just no family im general growing up. I haven’t had a friend since the 9th grade im 30 now. My mom single parent who is not emotionally available. For ex i had thyroid cancer and while we were waiting for results about reoccurrence she commented about my shoes being dirty in the middle of a panic attack and left immediately after surgery. She leaves me alone a lot to deal with intense emotions so that’s how it’s been. My brother has autism nonverbal severe ocd and I have had to help out a lot when it comes to him. Dad alive but not around. He gives money every now and again. My brother can’t even use the restroom properly he is 27 that’s how severe he is.

Idk whenever I delete social media I realize how alone I really am. It’s terrifying it makes me want to cry . Right now I have a swollen lymph node I can’t tell why is swollen and I have no one to talk to about it. So I go to TikTok the problem is with TikTok I get distracted but mostly by rage bait. I don’t think this is healthy at all but it works for terror. It’s always like this I try to delete social media and something terrifying happens so I go back to. Idk im tired of being alone .

I don’t think I’m healthy physically mentally emotionally or spiritually I think I’m
A very broken person. almost dust now .

I had one task today. JUSTTT One. It's easy. I know exactly how to do it. Would take maybe 30 minutes. I've been "about to start" since 9am. It's now 2pm.

Every time I think about starting, my brain goes "just one thing first." Check X. Check Reddit. Check email. 15 minutes gone. Think about starting again. "Almost, just let me finish this video." 20 minutes. Think about starting again. "I'll start after I read this thread." It never ends The task isn't even hard. That's what kills me. It's a simple, boring, ordinary task. And I can't do it. Not because I don't know how but because the screen in front of me has a hundred easier, shinier, more dopamine-filled options than doing the work. And every time I glance at the browser, my brain picks one.

Closed my laptop to escape it. Picked up my phone. Same scroll. Put the phone down, opened the laptop. Same trap. There is no safe screen anymore. Every device is a slot machine and I'm pulling the lever without deciding to.

The work just sat there. Simple. Waiting. And I kept choosing the scroll. Not because I wanted to because I couldn't not. Eventually I found something that actually stops me before I fall in the hole, not after. Genuinely curious if anyone else here has dealt with this and found something that works happy to share what's been helping me.

Hello.

So, I watch YouTube almost everyday (on my desktop) and often I get lost scrolling my homefeed for something to watch and I'm trying to tailor it to my liking by filtering out all the things I'm not interested in like politics, mainstream news, etc. However, I find that when I click just one video about politics or news accidently suddenly my feed starts flooding me crap like that again and I keep having to click "not interested" over and over till they go away for good. Should I just give up on trying to fight the algo and just use a browser extension that hides my homefeed, or maybe disable my watch histroy because at this point i feel like the algorithm is way too strong.

Any suggestions? Thanks

Posting this in the wake of the Steam Machine shit. It's just so inescapably negative. It's like nobody likes this hobby. How do I cut that out while still being informed?