Social networks become toxic the moment people start following each other, not due to trolls or engagement algorithms. It’s baked into the structure of these platforms. According to a study, when individuals follow others, a power imbalance emerges, leading to echo chambers, polarisation, and amplification of extremism. It happens even without algorithms because the nature of social networks inherently promotes a concentration of influence.
Researchers tested six different solutions to combat these issues, mimicking real-world social networks, but none were fully successful. Each intervention either worsened another problem or simply shifted the issue elsewhere. This suggests that echo chambers are not a bug in social media design but a natural outcome of network dynamics.
The impact on society is obvious.
I tested social media with new accounts. I always engaged respectfully in conversations without trolling anyone. However, I was attacked on some platforms by extremists from both sides of the spectrum. To the far left, I was labelled a capitalist fool, while those on the right called me an idiotic communist (I wish that the two crowds could meet and have a chat). I encountered all sorts of controversial and disturbing political ideas, from homophobia and neo-fascism to praise for Trump’s politics or for the glorious China, and even the desire to go back to the Soviet Union.
Lemmy and Twitter/X were arguably the platforms where it took less to go from a serene interaction to a straight insult. In Lemmy, I found a strong appreciation for communism to the point of total denial of historical facts, and interestingly, pure hate for anything AI-related. In Twitter/X the tendency is ultra-conservatism with minorities “holding down the fort” while the moderates flee.
Bluesky and Mastodon are overall more pleasant, with much less extremism and fewer users eager to tell me how ignorant I am in their eyes. Bluesky seems to me more leftish overall (or, at least, anti-Trump), while Mastodon is more balanced with a tendency towards anti-corporatism. The study denies it, but I think that the lack of an algorithm helps a bit.
I did not test Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn because it sounds pretty difficult to start from scratch with a fake profile, and I’m not that interested. I never had a profile on Facebook or Instagram (yep!), but with my profile on LinkedIn, I can tell that Microsoft’s social is the triumph of stereotypes and clichés with a spasmodic attempt to gain visibility (is that marketing?). Less hideous than extremism, but rarely interesting.
So do I use social networks? Among those I mentioned, I lurk on Bluesky, Mastodon, and LinkedIn. I feel like those guys walking on beaches with metal detectors, hoping to find something valuable. Occasionally, I find an interesting link, but most of the time it’s just a waste of time. I rarely engage. As a pet project, I’m working on a tool to filter these sources and identify interesting stuff for me. Basically, I’m building my social media algorithm.