Anti-slop: what if social media actually delivered on its promises?

"In a world where excessive screentime has been linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression , and research says we spend 88 days a year glued to our phones, who's asking to be more addicted to social media? Don't we want to cut down on our social media use after the failed experiment of the 2010s? To log off and touch grass? Or do we really desire, deep down, an endless stream of mindless content to consume like farm animals?"

"It's worth asking how we got here - how, from Facebook's 2009 promise to "make the world more open and connected", we've landed in a digital landscape defined by attention traps, echo chambers, AI companions , and other dark patterns that push us further apart. But perhaps an even more pressing question is: where can we find a better alternative? Is there a future for social media that doesn't require us to throw our phones directly into the ocean?"

Major platforms are prioritizing algorithmic, AI-generated short-form content that amplifies addictive behavior and low-quality 'AI slop', exemplified by features like Vibes. Excessive screentime correlates with increased anxiety and depression, and users spend roughly 88 days per year on phones. The growth of attention traps, echo chambers, AI companions, and dark-pattern design has eroded earlier promises of openness and connection. A backlash among younger users has emerged, manifested in initiatives that promote offline interaction and human-curated platforms. New projects and offline social clubs encourage in-person gatherings and curation as alternatives to algorithm-driven feeds.

Read at Dazed