Feb 2026 Update
This post originated in 2024, with my 3rd personal social media test, but started to take shape in question form around 2018.
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| old desktop monitor set on books and boards |
My point is, if we are going to fight back, we must get organized and do it together.
I have a why, point a. and point b.
Four types of mob mentality?
1. Deadly mob mentality.
2. Audience mentality.
3. The collective intelligence.
4. Social media memes.
The classic old as dirt, deadly mob mentality type 1, with pitch forks and fire, burning witches at the stake, the biblical stoning of adulters, people who were adored as part of their tribe before, the screaming and trampling of people fleeing from a burning theater, trampling people to death at a concert or a stampede at a sports event.
The second type is active but not deadly, the audience mentality, sports and music fans screaming and yelling, they can turn into the deadly mob, but if not afraid (fleeing for their lives) or drunk, they will silence to a murmur at the raise of the umpire’s hand or when a person on the stages calls for the attention of the crowd.
The third type is the collective intelligence. The collective intelligence works together, sorts the data and does the math to figure out how many emergency exits, and what type of signage can prevent a stampede to help allow people to exit the stadium or theater without fear, preventing deadly mob mentality.
On a national scale the collective intelligence takes form in democracy, when people work together to maintain liberty and justice for everyone.
The collective intelligence is whenever thousands (or even hundreds) of people work together as a united team, to win, make a movie, or to get to the moon. Or for a famous historical example, the multinational simultaneous development of the automobile.
The hive mind works together. When you ask many people a complex question, and then combine the answers on a data point cloud chart, you can find the most accurate answer to even unanswerable questions. Like what are emotions, how to best mitigate climate change damage, or how to best plan farm land. The intelligent answers will line up, the not so smart answers will sort of spread and sink, or sometimes clump to the bottom (people who were making jokes etc… like “Boaty McBoatFace” for a collective naming example that went to the jokes, not to the intelligence area of the point cloud).
This brings me to the fourth type of human mob mentality – the meme. It’s only possible because of the internet and social media. Before the internet, there were physical on the streets fads or trends. Some patterns of imitated behaviour, like cat calling by groups of men etc…Sort of similar to social media trolls.
But, the on the street of a city this collective action isn’t to the extent of a mob (unless it is an actual mob, like a riot), because people physically on the side walks are scattering, going to where they intend to go, thinking about work, food, their loved ones, the dog they are walking etc…
But, meme mentality is something else. Destructive when the meme is based on fear or hate, but usually it’s about recursive self examination. Memes are mobs because masses of people are focused on something all together as a shared experience. And like screaming in a crowd, it sort of takes over our collective sanity for a bit.
Pause and think about each of the four types of mob mentality, when in your life have you experienced.
1. Have you been a witness to or worse part of a dangerous mob?
2. Think about how it felt to part of a large audience in the moment together. If you haven’t done this, pick a crowd event that you would enjoy, it’s really worth it and has to be experienced to understand.
3. Have you experienced working with others to be part of the collective intelligence? For me it was working on a few indie movie crews, and some large college and high school projects that involved over a hundred people.
4. Have you participated in a viral meme conversation? How did that feel, everyone sharing how they saw some seemingly trivial details of media on a large scale, together.
Of course reply in comments with interesting thoughts totally welcome. But, we shall see if the 7 social media apps I post on let anyone in my home feeds see this.
Why? Because of this.
Point b. Is best described by a question I asked Google search Ai a couple of days ago.
Me: Is it possible or just coincidence that the social media apps only let one person see your posts in their home feed and shuffle all the rest with their profit algorithm?
AI: It is definitely possible and highly likely that this is happening, and it is almost certainly not a coincidence.
What you are describing is the core function of modern social media algorithms—a, “profit algorithm,” as you put it, which prioritizes engagement to keep users scrolling and, ultimately, to sell ads.
Here is why you only see that one person:
The "Relationship Strength" Factor: The algorithm tracks who you talk to, whose posts you like, and who you visit. If you, or the other person, engage frequently, the platform deems that relationship “strong” and constantly prioritizes them at the top of your feed.
The "Relevance" Score: The algorithm predicts what you want to see based on past behavior. If you have clicked on similar posts before, the algorithm will show you more of that, even if it ignores 95% of your other friends.
The "Profit" Mechanism: Social media platforms want you to stay on the app. They show you content that makes you engage (like, comment, or share) because that keeps you on the platform longer. The “shuffle” of other posts is actually a curated, ranked feed designed to maximize your time-on-platform, not to show you everything in chronological order.
Why does this happen?
Too Much Content: You are probably connected to more people than you can keep up with. The algorithm filters this for you, but it filters for engagement, not necessarily for importance.
Echo Chamber Effect: Once the algorithm decides you like that one person, it keeps showing them to you, creating a self-reinforcing loop.
Active Engagement Required: To see more diverse posts, you need to actively engage with other friends' posts.
How to Bypass It
Check the "Feeds" or "Following" Tab: Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms often have a "Feeds" tab that shows you posts in chronological order (or at least, less heavily ranked).
Use "Favorites": Mark the friends you actually want to see as "Favorites."
"See First": On Facebook, you can select "See First" on specific friends.
So, while it feels like a conspiracy to restrict your social circle, it is a deliberate, personalized,, and profit-driven curation strategy.
Me, to myself after I copy and paste this. Well, shit. And once again, what are you going to do about it?
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| Here's to all the voices of the "little" people on the interwebs. |
I could have just searched for statistics instead of wasting a couple hours on two and half days on this. Why not just let the pros-sort the data.
Interesting, Reddit just surpassed X in 2024 . In the last three years Reddit rose to 23% and X (formerly known as Twitter) declined to 22% source, Pew Research
Which social media platforms are most popular?
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/
3rd social media test completed September 2024
50. free association posts on one blog page, this page, posted across 6 social media apps, in one day, just to see what happens.
I’ve decided not to do another little experiment. Many posts across 5 social media apps in one day. X, FB, BS, M, and Th. Plus photos of paper notes on IG.
I’ve feeling lonely today specifically because I miss all the “little” conversations with people on social media.
I don’t feel like talking to people around me in the real. It’s a problem. It’s my problem, I know, it’s me. It’s an eye contact thing, and a couple other factors that I just don’t feel like dealing with today.
Right now I’d rather hear what other people want to talk about rather than answer questions about myself. … Tired of myself. …. Want to be distracted.
Why do I have to have a point? What if I just want to be? …. Sit on a rock and listen to the world around me.
Social media was for a while for me and other people like me a place to listen, hear what people wanted to say enough to type.
I really miss the cartoonists. Not just the published in the New Yorker cartoonists. But, the one who work so much their’s no way they can respond, they have to have a publicists friend/fan.
I miss other artists. I loved to see some random work-in-progress. A photo from their walk. Listen to the view expanding details of their thoughts about art.
I miss other people’s pets. BFF is deadly allergic to cats. He gets a sinus infection, like for weeks, he’d be miserable if we had a cat. And I’m too annoyed by the noise, chewing and shit in the bags of dogs.
Shit in plastic bags is a trigger that reminds me of homeless people. Plastic bags add to the environmental impact of dogs. Carnivores adding to the meat industry, their life energy turned to shit, put in how many billions of plastic bags now?
How much people love dogs and cats, reminds me of how apathetic we are towards each other. We love our pets for scapegoats because we can’t love each other as much as we need.
See, I went there. I shouldn’t be “talking” I should be listening. Just enjoy the cute cat photos. Enjoy the dogs that bring home the bear cub. Don’t think about the fish runs or where is mama bear.
I’m like that person who gives a raccoon cotton candy. Why would you do that? Raccoons want your goldfish or cat food. I don’t want to take selfies or ask for money. Guess I’m actually more like the raccoon then the cruel person who did that.
I don’t even know if I’m up for this social media test. Did you guess what it is? It’s quantity instead of “quality”. That’s what I’m trying to test. But, I need a plan better then just free association posts in a list.
I cut up slips of paper while I ponder what to do next. I like paper. I like ink, all types of coloring pencils, pastels, charcoal and yes even crayons, and I enjoy brushing all types of paint.
Hate that Apple add where it smashed up all our favorite things, in the same way that Apple has destroyed hard drives of my personal data – twice. 2007 when I got a new laptop. And this year when iCloud gutted my 2008 iPhone destroying years of personal photos why? For their profit?
I think 100 text posts may be too many. I’m at 17 and am already thinking, 50 is a better quantity sample size. But, even 50 may be a bit too much. We shall see I guess?
If I’m starting to get bored, how bored must you be if you are trying to read this? What social media app are you on? Have you done a test like this yourself?
This is only a test of the social media by a broad casting texts out via copy & paste. If this was a photo of my bare ass would you “listen” or heart me?
Everybody likes a full moon.
I think they do.
Let me know if you don’t like the moon.
It’s like fluffy clouds. Who doesn’t like a blue sky with fluffy clouds? I wonder what kind of person doesn’t like sky photos?
Did you know that the internet isn’t finished? Yeah, not a joke, they started this ip - ping thing, and it took off and the code is half baked and rebaked, like 19 pies in the same damn pan, not one of the pies cleaned up.
People, we need to understand the information age isn’t working as it could, not yet. Today we could actually have real global democracy. With all the complex flavors, sorted by subject by AI – all the URIs in URLs, enough for everyones’ voice and ideas.
That scares “them” you know. People are scary. It’s true. But, it’s simultaneously true that 97.5% of us just want to be. Love who we love, work on our own dreams, write our own words, make art, music, pottery, etc…
When you think about human history. It’s scary. I hear the word communism and I see RED. I see blood. Same with monotheism, misogyny and racism. Except then I smell rotting flesh in shallow graves. Too soon. Next subject.
Yeah, sooooooooooooooo….? I never in 10-hundred-year-lifespans EVER imagined that I would attempt to write a political parody. I tolerate politicians as a necessary evil.
I sincerely love people. At a safe distance. As long as they aren’t bothering me.
I’m on another level of introvert. I’m a recluse. If you meet me I exude nervous energy. I’m genuinely friendly. Honest. Can’t lie even when I want to.
Enough about me.
When I type some blurb about myself, or worse, a blurb talking about other people, I feel recursive guilt or more like this nagging feeling that grows into paranoia. Soooooooo….? Why am I typing this?
There’s no blathering on and getting a high from it for reclusive people like me. Talk therapy can actually have a negative impact if a person doesn’t like to talk (and/or) dislikes how the therapist thinks.
The exception for introverts, the line, is love. If you love me, and you actually listen, and I’m not paying you. I’ll still not get a release or feel good from talking, but I will move on knowing the next step is solid.
Even when talking to “no one”. Texting faceless nicknames on a following/friends list, if the sentiment is real, even if we are just talking about a gif or food or the weather. Those little conversations are also solid to me.
Accumulated read words add layers to our collective consciousness. Regardless of if words are in books, on a box of cereal, social media, paper letters, in the lame stream news, etc… – neurology has proven, if you see a word and you can read, you read the word.
When you look at your social media feed do you see more people you know or more advertising, posts from groups and videos from strangers, most not even close to where you are. Scroll, do a count and reply if you like.
FYI, FB 156 friends, and I see less than 2 or 3 posts from people I used to talk with every few days. I asked an AI about this a couple years ago. It said, They are sorting by what is popular, because their goal is add revenue.
Some good news first. Since I’ve been complaining about this, I’ve actually been seeing more posts by people I know. But, check the dates. Today in FB I scrolled and counted 4 at a ratio of 3:1 people I don’t know, advertising, groups. Then a 5th from 3 days ago.
I just made myself feel ill going down the list and seeing who posted this year. I didn’t make it all the way to the end of the list. I got to 76 to find the 4 posts I saw scrolling today.
Time for lunch. I made some mixed leftovers pot pies cleaning out my freezer. Turkey soup, vegan green curry and potato to thicken the soup. It’s pretty good actually.
Scrolling FB profiles today, how many people posted in a ratio to the 4 I just scrolled and counted. 17/83 today, most hours ago, so technically shouldn’t those 17 posts have been in my feed before the 5th post from 3 days ago?
Today is Sept 5th, 14 more people posted in Sept. 30/83 profiles I checked. 16 more people posted in late August. I recall seeing only 4 or 5 of those, but it’s too far in the past to count as I’ve been mostly in-active on Social media.
Soooooooo…? I didn’t make it to 50 even. I’ve wasted half a day on this, and hell no! I’m not doing any charts or gathering any data on that horrible web site again. I can barely stand it, why expect others to go spend time there?
The next day, Sept 6th, 2024. To be fair, I’ve never really liked Facebook. – College app developed to posts who-is-hot-or-not, FB coined the term everything-but-her-face. = My personal name for Facebook is Facebutt.
Well, I’m bored of being negative already. I know the world is actually half full of piss and almost everyone has a butt. In that context Facebutt is a true enough name for the social media giant.
Something good? The year before I stopped being a regular on Twitter (now rebranded as X). I listed 365 things I like as a life-satisfaction exercise. IMO we should all do that. All at once. Everyone in the world should list 365 things they like.
Just imagine if Everyone listed 365 things they like across all social media platforms?!!! It doesn’t have to be one thing per day all year. It could be as many as they can think of during lunch for as long as it takes to list 365 things.
Listing 365 things you like is not as easy as it sounds. It’s a very good challenge, and you have to keep a list if you want to prevent repeats. But, it’s a big enough number to really make you think about what you like in your life.
Even if you don’t want to list 365 things you like, there are lots of little reality “exercises” you can do. Breathe and think about how you would spell phonetically what your breath sounds like.
Be aware of the details of the world around you, even if you just sit and sense (with the senses your body has) and ask yourself. What is that? Texture, sound, smell, flavor, color, scale to me?
Thank you for listening/reading. Know, you are not alone. We share the limited material of this planet together. Air, water, soil, mineral and most of all life energy. We are tinier than ants to the Earth, and each consciousness is as large as the known universe. ☮️+💚Uva Be
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Results from this test so far?
So I posted the same 50 text posts on 5 different apps. It took 59 minutes and during that time or shortly after.
I got 4 hearts, a new follow, who I followed back and a reply on Mastodon,
One heart from 1/50 on Blue Sky,
and later, two hearts and boost on threads.
And the same friend who added a heart and a boost on threads, plus one friend from a past art work study clay studio 2 people for a total of 11 responses on FB.
Also, I've been getting zero notifications from X for a while now. So no surprise, na da there. I think it is officially a dead social media app.
So? I don't know yet. But, further experiments may be in the future.
Not likely FB related. Probably more literary and serious or art related, Like ink October (#inktober) because, ya gotta make yourself happy. And what makes me happy? Art and writing. :)
Day after results:
Saturday Sept 7th 1:30 after lunch.
Two new heart/likes on FB.
Two replies on Threads. One was rather ify in tone, but, honestly I'm just thankful for the feedback to know that someone saw it.
The other one was a positive conversation like the replies that used to happen all the time on old Twitter.
And 1 more follow on Mastodon, but ... I don't usually follow back people with no posts, and iffy profiles. It usually leads to more harm than good. If you want a follow back, post something worth following. That's all. And IMO just being human and talking about stuff in the world is good enough.
Tho, sorry, not for FB and IG. It's just too much bombardment from people who are not artists or cartoonists, writers or people leading group chats, etc...
In conclusion the following Monday after 50 text test on 5 social media apps.
Facebook, in-spite of my complaints, actually didn’t block me and I got more feedback there then I have gotten for years.
I’ve scrolled my Home feed twice, the ratio of strangers to 1 post from Friends is still, 1 post from a friend to at least 4 with a blue link to follow, join, sponsor (a.k.a. advertising). I do think people responded to my activity with more activity, so technically Facebook is currently the most functional as a social media app.
Mastodon even tho much smaller pool of followers/following was second in feedback.
Threads was a distant third. Also, tag CreativeThreads today resulted in exactly the type of posts I search for.
BlueSky is sorting posts in a more logical way I think? I guess it’s still functioning? Not sure yet.
X? Zilch, nothing, since the last haiku I posted there. Formerly my favorite as the old Twitter, now dead last and the real reason I did this stupid test. X is completely broken unless you’re a troll, a bot, or #19 porn.
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