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It fascinates me how some people on social media nowadays actively seem to be weirded out when you attempt to actively interact with them, or to reply to their posts - as if they assume it’s a broadcast-first medium.

Shen-yi Liao 廖顯禕@liao.shen-yi.org

Other people have noticed this phenomenon too but danah boyd put the best slogan to it: social media is now parasocial media. Social media hasn't been social for a long while—how long depending on the platform, depending on the milieu. It's not folks sharing equally, but broadcasting and receiving.

journals.sagepub.comSocial Media Is Now Parasocial Media - danah boyd, 2026When practitioners used the term “social media” to describe the internet tools that emerged in the mid-aughts, they were giving a name to the kinds of platforms...

Kim

@kimoco.bsky.social

12 May

As a person who is old enough to remember The Well and who joined Twitter very early, and not only joined, but had parties with people I met via DailyKos that has strong community. One of my favorite things about social was being able to chat (and sometimes meet) people I never would have otherwise

Faine Greenwood

@faineg.com

yes, i have made so many friends via social media over the years (including my partner of 11+ years).

12/5/26, 5:06 pm0 reposts2 likes

Kim

@kimoco.bsky.social

12 May

Me too. That said, I think as it is today I do believe social media provides an overall negative to our society.