Attention Media ≠ Social Networks
The author contends that modern 'social networks' have devolved into 'attention media,' prioritizing engagement metrics over authentic human connection. This transformation, marked by features like infinite scroll and manipulative notifications, eroded the genuine social experience that defined early Web 2.0 platforms. It resonates with many on Hacker News who lament the commercialization of the internet and seek a return to more user-centric, less-manipulative online spaces.
The Lowdown
This piece chronicles the perceived degradation of web-based social networks, arguing that they have transitioned from platforms designed for genuine connection to 'attention media' optimized for engagement. The author fondly recalls the optimistic era of Web 2.0, where services facilitated direct interaction among users and notifications were meaningful signals.
- The turning point for these platforms is identified between 2012 and 2016, a period marked by significant design shifts.
- The introduction of the 'infinite scroll' is cited as an early unsettling development, disrupting the user's intuitive sense of a webpage's boundaries.
- Notifications, once genuine alerts, became manipulative prompts designed to serve the platform's interests rather than the user's.
- Timelines progressively filled with irrelevant content from strangers, diluting the original purpose of following chosen connections.
- The author ultimately abandoned these services, finding them no longer genuinely social but rather overwhelming broadcasters of random content.
- Mastodon is presented as a refreshing alternative, reminiscent of early Twitter, offering a calm and predictable timeline based solely on user-selected follows, free from algorithmic manipulation.
The author expresses hope that platforms like Mastodon can retain their user-centric design, preserving the original ethos of social networking that has largely been lost in mainstream platforms.