Comment by doomrobo | Hacker News Reader

Comment by doomrobo | Hacker News Reader

This is my main issue with so many services. The reason I don't use Instagram is because Instagram gives me no control over what I see. You want to look at pictures without seeing comments? Too bad. It doesn't matter that the top comment on one of the accounts I follow was an anti-Semitic jab at the account owner, I have to read it because Instagram knows what's best for me. Ditto YouTube comments & suggestions, Twitter ordering & suggestions, TikTok ordering & suggestions, and just ads in general.

It's a catch-22 for me: if I cede control I get sucked into these addictive cycles, and if I don't cede control I miss out on the primary means of social communication for people my age. How did we get here?

This repo has a nice list of attention-respecting frontends. https://github.com/mendel5/alternative-front-ends/issues

One thing you used to be able to do on Instagram is mute everyone you follow and only view people’s profiles when you feel like it. Unfortunately they changed the frontend so now it will endless scroll posts from people you don’t know, which is arguably worse.

> and if I don't cede control I miss out on the primary means of social communication for people my age.

What I do: Fight it by being part of the solution rather than contributing to the problem by continuing to use these platforms. This is obvious, but the only thing that makes it the “primary” means of communication is the people using it. Don’t be one of those people, and tell your friends the preferred way to get in touch with you. If they are really your friends they will roll with it.

that doesn't work if you want to make new friends.

I'm honestly not sure what Instagram is used for, never had an accent, but I still make new friends without it. I use sms to talk to the ones with no mutual online chat services.

You got downvoted, but this is the only sensible response I have read here so far. It's like hearing all these spoiled kids complain about how company X or software Y should do this or that for them. Everybody on here deep down knows how it works, but it's all talk and no action.

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