Wake up, check phone; eat lunch, check phone; go for a walk, check phone; watch TV, check phone; the phone is the new cigarette. Scrolling, clicking, liking, and sharing. A quick check-in turns into 15 minutes, then 30, and before we know it, we’ve lost hours of our day.
The average internet user now spends about two and a half hours per day on social media, much of it engaged in “doomscrolling”, the obsessive consumption of negative news and content that doesn’t bring any joy to our lives. The internet, the tool that connects the world, has become a time sink of algorithmic manipulation designed to capture and commodify attention.
Big Tech’s social media platforms, once hailed as the ideal way to connect with friends, have become echo chambers of outrage, distraction, and ad saturation. With traditional platforms like Facebook and TikTok facing criticism over privacy violations, misinformation, and questionable engagement tactics, a new wave of decentralised social media (DeSOC) is emerging.
Could they offer an escape from the attention economy’s grip? Could blockchain-based alternatives finally provide users with a more meaningful way to interact online?
How social media became an addiction machine
It boils down to the bottom line, revenue has shaped how social media grew over time. Understood as a very lucrative business model, the more time spent glued to our screens, the more users can be targeted with advertising. Algorithms are optimised not for meaningful engagement but for addiction. That’s why controversy, doom, and outrage always seem to rise to the top of your feed.
The consequences are profound. The US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, has called loneliness an epidemic, linking social media overuse to declining mental health. A 2024 Harvard study found that 81 per cent of adults who identified as lonely also experienced anxiety and depression, while 73 per cent said technology had contributed to their isolation.
In a world where one in three Americans reports feeling lonely every week, what are we really gaining from our endless scrolling? We’ve traded real-world interactions for relationships with influencers, celebrities, and AI-generated personalities. It’s time to ask whether there’s a better way to engage online.
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The rise of decentralised social media
For years, traditional social media platforms have operated as walled gardens, closed ecosystems where user data is harvested for profit, and decisions are made by a handful of executives beholden to advertisers and shareholders. Decentralised social networks are aiming to change that dynamic, putting users back in control of their time, data, and communities.
Decentralised social media, aka DeSOC, leverages blockchain technology to create networks that are user-owned and community-driven. Farcaster, an emerging decentralised protocol, is leading the charge with Warpcast, an application that prioritises engagement over manipulation.
Meanwhile, MeWe, a privacy-focused network, has already migrated 1.6 million users onto Web3 infrastructure to ensure they retain ownership of their data and identities, even if Big Tech collapses. They have also avoided manipulation of users for advertising.
Then there’s Wunder social, a newcomer adopting an invite-only model to foster genuine interactions. With verified users and zero bots, Wunder is designed to prioritise quality over quantity.
Can DeSOC scale?
The biggest challenge for decentralised platforms isn’t technology, it’s adoption. Facebook, Twitter (now X), and TikTok have entrenched network effects; we stay because everyone else is there. But the landscape is shifting. As privacy concerns grow and users become more aware of algorithmic manipulation, the appetite for alternatives is increasing.
The difference this time? Web3 technology is maturing, and cultural attitudes are evolving. If DeSOC platforms can offer an experience that feels just as seamless, without the surveillance and constant interruptions via ads then momentum could build quickly.
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The future of social media: A tipping point?
Will we quit Facebook tomorrow? Probably not. But we’ve reached an inflection point where users are beginning to question the value of the time spent online.
Not too long ago, cigarettes were an everyday indulgence, marketed as sophisticated, and even encouraged. But as the true cost of tobacco became undeniable, the price of smoking kept rising, both in dollars and in damage to our health. Today, our relationship with social media is following a similar trajectory. The more we learn about its harmful effects on mental health, relationships, and productivity, the more we recognise the cost of our time online.
Doomscrolling isn’t free. Every hour spent chasing algorithmically served content is an hour not spent on joy, on relationships, on creativity, or on simply being present. If decentralised platforms can provide real benefits via data ownership, transparency, and authentic interactions, traditional social networks may not have the same pull factor.
In the coming years, the battle won’t just be for users’ attention, it will be for trust. The question is no longer if we need a better way to engage online, but when we’ll finally break free from the systems designed to keep us hooked.
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