Social media once carried a promise. It would bring us closer, enrich our relationships, and create a world of authentic connection. We bought into it

Is social media dead? | Alex's Blog

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2025-01-04 19:00:07

Social media once carried a promise. It would bring us closer, enrich our relationships, and create a world of authentic connection. We bought into it wholeheartedly, believing it would transform how we relate to each other. But somewhere along the way, that dream soured.

Today, the reality is hard to ignore: social media feels less like a thriving marketplace of ideas and connection, and more like a graveyard. The conversations are hollow, drowned out by bots, influencers, and relentless advertisements. What was supposed to be a tool for human connection has become a machine that profits off our attention. And worse—off us.

It’s an unsettling realization. When you stop and think about it, social media didn’t just fail to fulfill its promise—it betrayed it. Instead of fostering community, it turned us into commodities. Every post, every like, every click feeds the algorithms that sell us to advertisers. We’ve become products, not participants.

And people are starting to wake up. The disillusionment is growing. More and more, I see friends stepping back, logging off, or abandoning platforms entirely. What’s left behind? A digital wasteland where bots reign supreme, and “engagement” is just a numbers game. The promise of deeper relationships has been replaced by cold, calculated manipulation.