Social Media Is Eating Away The Fabric That Holds Us Together

Hi. Last night I deleted the last social media app that I have. Well, besides

YouTube, I I'm keeping YouTube obviously because I'm making YouTube videos, but I I'll talk about YouTube later in this

video. Uh, but I Yeah, last night I I

video. Uh, but I Yeah, last night I I deleted the last social media app that I was consistently using. Um that was

Reddit. Uh but I wanted to talk about

Reddit. Uh but I wanted to talk about that because um I think social media has had

a pretty deep and profound impact on my life. I'm not talking about from a

life. I'm not talking about from a content creator uh perspective, but from a um a user of social media.

Uh, and I think that it's had some pretty deep societal impacts overall. So, I think it's worth

impacts overall. So, I think it's worth talking about. Uh, also, my wife and I,

talking about. Uh, also, my wife and I, we rewatched a Netflix uh or a documentary that's on Netflix um called

um The Social Dilemma. I think it's from 2020. and it it was talking about the

2020. and it it was talking about the um effects of social media on society um over the previous decade because it's

really like let's see here well I think I can go I can well I recommend watching that

documentary um because it talks about the concerning sides of social media and explains it very well and I'm going to try to explain some of that as well

Here, we're going to rewind uh to when I was younger. We didn't have cell phones. I'm 41. I was born in

cell phones. I'm 41. I was born in 1984. Uh when I was a kid,

1984. Uh when I was a kid, uh we had the house phone. Uh that was a landline.

Um I played around in the dirt, you know, as a kid. Um there was an empty lot next to our house and so all the kids in our neighborhood. We would um

meet up at the empty lot and someone had dumped a huge pile of dirt which when I was a kid it was like as tall as I was but it's probably like 3 or 4 feet high

pile of dirt and all the kids in the neighborhood on our street. It was a pretty big neighborhood, but on our street, we all would like gather and play around the big dirt pile and like

dig into it and try to make it like a volcano with a tunnel and stuff and like sticks and find bugs and

uh both boys and girls. Um we had a great time. And as I grew older, you

great time. And as I grew older, you know, we just I'd bicycle to my friend's house and uh we watched

TV and TV at that time was a scheduled programming. It was not on on demand uh

programming. It was not on on demand uh like you like now you can just go on YouTube and click what you want or you go on your um your app and you click

what you want. It wasn't like that.

you just were it it was just whatever was scheduled and you you had the choice of watching and you had several channels you can choose from but if you didn't like any of the things on that was

playing at the time well tough luck you know just you either watch whatever something you don't really want to watch or you turn it off and then you go read a book or play outside or go to

sleep it's a different time um also I remember that Um, in that

time people were much friendlier and I would say maybe

happier. Maybe it's hard to tell because

happier. Maybe it's hard to tell because I was a kid in a teenager, but I feel like people were

friendlier. Like if you meet somebody

friendlier. Like if you meet somebody and stranger and then you be like, "Hi, how's your day going?" and you actually really do care about how their day was going and they really do want to share how their day was going and find out how

your day is going and who you're from and where you're from. These days that people don't do

from. These days that people don't do that. So that what I've seen is a pretty

that. So that what I've seen is a pretty profound shift of this like uh communal aspect of

society where we're all neighbors. we coexist together to this

neighbors. we coexist together to this like pretty toxic um toxic I can't even call it society

anymore because it's really like the social fabric that holds us together is all ragged right now. Uh

there's so much hate and people can't even like have a conversation without like trigger triggering each other.

Um literally can't have a rational discourse anymore because truth is so warped it like buried under like layers

and layers of lies.

um suspicions um paranoia anger and hatred. So, there's been a pretty big

hatred. So, there's been a pretty big shift in my lifetime, which I've been alive for four decades, but I I see this

shift, and it's very concerning. Um, you

know, people that were born later, like in the early 2000s, they were born into this. So, they don't know what it was

this. So, they don't know what it was like before. Now, people who are older

like before. Now, people who are older than me, like 60s, 70s, 80s, well, they I'm sure that they definitely see this pretty drastic shift over this last

decade and a half uh with social media.

And and I don't think social media is like the only cause for this. I've made

other videos about how as the population exponentially increases on a finite planet with finite resources, that means that there's less

to go around for everybody. Plus, we're

already using up uh resources like fossil fuels that aren't that don't replenish.

Um, so with exponential growth of people, but the same number of resources, we're we're chomping away at it exponentially

faster. And it means

faster. And it means that there's less to go around and each person has less and than they did before. Um and that can make people

before. Um and that can make people angry and uh feel dissatisfied and suspicious and paranoid and and uh it can feel hatred and anger. Well, I

already said anger can feel hatred and division.

So there's definitely social media effect uh layered on top of this underlying

um population and resources uh uh u problem. Uh but this social media thing

problem. Uh but this social media thing is I think a huge problem. Um and

so I want to talk about it. So let's see how how to start like what is the problem? Okay, the I I

problem? Okay, the I I think the problem is that social media is designed to feed us

advertisements that um or just content that tweak how we view the world and ourselves in a

certain way. that is beneficial

certain way. that is beneficial to someone to make money. And

um that's the problem.

So this content that we all see if you have social media is essentially like warping the way that we see the world and ourselves

and other people and our community um in a way that generates money for companies,

corporations. Uh in order to do that,

corporations. Uh in order to do that, you know, they have advertisements, but in order to make money from the advertisements, they have to have your attention.

So, what draws people's attention?

Well it's not peaceful, loving, happy things. It does I mean, it does some. I

things. It does I mean, it does some. I

mean, there's like really cute puppy and kitten videos and and like um funny jokes comedians

and but that's not what draws like the most views and engagement from people.

It's things that are shocking, outrageous, like how can that how can that person do that?

like Karen videos, someone spouting off like racist

stuff or or like political things or um uh some mass murderer hurting people or someone just saying really dumb

things or really like hurtful things that you really shouldn't say or or doing hurtful things

uh things that um things that elicit fear. That's way I think it g it g it

fear. That's way I think it g it g it grasps people's attention way stronger than things that are talking about love

and community.

and coexisting and appreciating the differences that we all have.

those videos or posts, you know, they do get attention, but they don't get near the attention

that posts that inspire fear and hatred and anger do.

Well, the problem is that these internet companies, their motivation is just to make

money. It's not to make society a better

money. It's not to make society a better place to live.

They don't have the goal of making our communal um our our social fabric stronger. That

that's not their motivation. Their motivation is

motivation. Their motivation is to make more money for their shareholders.

And if you have the choice of a like a um having content that promotes people loving their neighbors

and loving themselves that gets maybe a million views. And then you've

views. And then you've got content that says, "Oh, your neighbor might actually want to kill you." actually probably does want to

you." actually probably does want to kill you. So, you probably should kill

kill you. So, you probably should kill them first. And that that content gets 6

first. And that that content gets 6 million views instead of 1 million.

Well, the social media company is going to be like, "Huh, I'm going to get six times as much money from this video.

Let's roll with it." To hell with society.

it." To hell with society.

There is no reason for them to choose the other one. I mean, they'll they'll put both of them up, but what'll happen

is this one will drown out that one just from the algorithm. So, what what happens to

algorithm. So, what what happens to people who are using this?

Well, they start to think, "Oh, man. My

neighbor My neighbor wants to kill me. I

I I should kill them first. I mean, that would be the logical thing to do, right?

I don't want to be killed. They're going

to kill me, so I should just kill them." But that's not like the reality

them." But that's not like the reality of the situation. The reality of the situation is we're all

neighbors. We all live together and rely

neighbors. We all live together and rely on each other. I don't think everybody wants to

other. I don't think everybody wants to kill each other. I I don't want to kill other

other. I I don't want to kill other people. I want to coexist

people. I want to coexist and have a supportive community hopefully.

Uh, I know I'm not alone in that, but it it it kind of seems like if you just looked at social media that there aren't that many people like

that. But I don't think that's the

that. But I don't think that's the actual case. I think that there's

actual case. I think that there's actually way more people that want to live like that then they want to hurt their neighbor. But because social media

their neighbor. But because social media has this um this algorithm that that wants to make money at all costs, it will

promote this harmful content that is harmful to our community so that that social media

company can make more money.

So that that is my concern and I I um I noticed that I want to talk about the effects

that I've noticed in my own mind and soul from using social media. Um and I I'll explain what social media I've used

in the past. Well, I I I used Facebook when I first came out, and it was pretty cool to like make connections, keep connected with my

friends, message them, see what they're up to, share what I'm up to. But I

quickly stopped using that. Um, I mean, I started using it when it first came out. That was like the early

out. That was like the early 2000s. And

2000s. And then I think I stopped using it in like 2014 when I finished residency. I just I

don't know. I just didn't

don't know. I just didn't really Oh, I was just so busy with starting my my first job and I just didn't really

find find it that useful anymore.

Um, so I I stopped using that, but I I I held on to it up until um I started this YouTube channel and it went viral. And

then someone was going through my YouTube and taking pictures from my no going through my Facebook and taking pictures from my Facebook and then making fake channels of Gooby and Doobie

channel um uh and fake accounts on other social media using pictures that I had from my Facebook. So I I just deleted my Facebook. I haven't gone back but I

Facebook. I haven't gone back but I wasn't using Facebook much uh by that time. This was last

year. Um I had tried downloading Tik

year. Um I had tried downloading Tik Tok. I mean I did download Tik Tok. Um,

Tok. I mean I did download Tik Tok. Um,

and I used it like for a day and you know I I would pick up my phone like pick up my phone

and and then I open up the app and I just be like h okay

like scrolling, huh? Okay.

But it was it was early on. So like

I the the artificial intelligence algorithm um didn't have time to really cater to my preferences. So the stuff that I was

preferences. So the stuff that I was looking at I was like that's not really that interesting. And like I feel like I

that interesting. And like I feel like I feel like my brain is losing its attention span by looking at these short video clips. Um and so I was like ah my

video clips. Um and so I was like ah my brain hurts. I I I don't think this is

brain hurts. I I I don't think this is good for my brain. So, I I just deleted the Tik Tok app.

Um I I'll come to YouTube shorts. Um but

I never had in at the end. I never had Instagram. Um so I don't know. My wife

Instagram. Um so I don't know. My wife

has shown me what um Instagram is like with the the feed and the the reels. Um,

and honestly, it seems pretty similar to me to that effect that Tik Tok had on me. I was like, "Oh, my brain. I can't

me. I was like, "Oh, my brain. I can't

focus anymore."

Um, YouTube shorts kind of have that effect. Uh, I'll talk about a little bit

effect. Uh, I'll talk about a little bit because it's the same as the reals and Tik Tok. Like, I'll be I'll be watching

Tik Tok. Like, I'll be I'll be watching a YouTube short like I I'll be I'll upload a short of mine and then I'll go and I'll check it and then and then

When it's over, you go to the next one and then I'll watch it and be like, "Oh, huh, that's kind of curious." And then I'll go to the next

curious." And then I'll go to the next one like "Huh?" Like, not not that interesting,

"Huh?" Like, not not that interesting, but kind of interesting. Go to the next

interesting. Go to the next one. You're like,

one. You're like, "H go to the next one.

go to the next one. Go to the next

one. Go to the next one. And And then pretty soon, like 30

one. And And then pretty soon, like 30 minutes is gone. And I'm like, "What what the hell did I do for 30 minutes?"

And my brain feels funny. Like I I can't focus on stuff anymore. Um I feel like my brain turned

anymore. Um I feel like my brain turned into like pudding.

Uh like what what did this what did this do to me?

Um so I think YouTube shorts and reals and Tik Tok are actually hijacking the way your brain works. I talked a little bit about the

works. I talked a little bit about the reward system in the last video about success. Success is not about trying

success. Success is not about trying hard. Um, so I I talk a little bit about

hard. Um, so I I talk a little bit about how the brain works. So you got a reward system that uses dopamine to um if if

you do something and it lights up the um dopamine system, then it makes your brain change its circuits so that you're more likely to keep doing whatever that

was. And I think these very short

was. And I think these very short um videos essentially hijack that dopamine

system. And

system. And because AI is learning, what your preferences are, what stimulates that

dopamine in your brain, it learns very quickly to give you stuff that keep giving you micro bursts of dopamine. So,

it's essentially getting you hooked and addicted. Uh, and each swipe is kind of

addicted. Uh, and each swipe is kind of like pulling the um lever on a gambling machine. Um, the slots. Uh,

you just like swipe. Oh, I wonder what I'm going to get this time. And then

sometimes it's like mind-blowingly entertaining. Other times it's not. It's

entertaining. Other times it's not. It's

kind of random. And that that's how you addict any animal or person uh is you you don't give them reward every single time. They'll quickly get bored of it.

time. They'll quickly get bored of it.

They'll get too much reward. And you

can't be too infrequent otherwise it gets too difficult and people give up.

You need to give a fraction of the the tries like swiping or pulling the lever on the slot machine. a fraction of the

time needs to be really amazing and then like say a third a third of the time you you swipe up you find something really cool and then twothirds of the time it's like something that's either

mildly cool or not cool at all and but it it has to be random and then that really hooks the brain

so I find that uh YouTube shorts reals Tik Tok that the short video feeds. It is

video feeds. It is um this algorithm, this AI um taking advantage of how our brain

works and gluing us into the screen to show us advertisements or change the way we think about ourselves, our society,

other people, our world. Um and I think that's actually very dangerous.

exceedingly dangerous.

Um, yeah. Well, okay, let me I'll come back

yeah. Well, okay, let me I'll come back to YouTube. Uh, I I'll talk about Reddit

to YouTube. Uh, I I'll talk about Reddit because Reddit is what I was using very heavily for the last decade or so.

Yeah. Uh, Reddit, if you haven't used it, it is like a um uh it it shows you feeds of of news

stories or or or videos posted by people to other social media um or people just make memes.

Um, so it could be videos, it could be links to um, news articles or links to um people's

blogs and it's broken up into subreddits uh, that are about a particular topic. And

so for instance, there's a subreddit called Public Freakout, which is dedicated to people freaking out in public. And it is

this is like the epitome of this outrage thing. Like you you watch it and there's

thing. Like you you watch it and there's like a bunch of Karens and and like like racist, hurtful, bigoted people saying awful things or like people murdering

people and running them over or or uh uh people just losing their minds like um just just acting completely crazy.

Uh or like just political stuff, you know? It's like stuff that just like you

know? It's like stuff that just like you look at it and you're like, "Oh my god, society is so trash. How are we how are we alive? Like this is this is the

we alive? Like this is this is the worst. People are the worst." And then

worst. People are the worst." And then but you can't stop looking at it. You

just keep scrolling up and you keep looking at it. Um, and then if you just looked at that every day, you would think that, oh my god, society deserves

to be exterminated, burned, pulled up at the roots, buried. Never again should we ever try

buried. Never again should we ever try this. Um, but that's not that's not the

this. Um, but that's not that's not the reality. It's like this it's like

reality. It's like this it's like this hall of mirrors. It's like this silo. uh

silo. uh this rabbit hole or um echo chamber. That's another name.

There's definitely echo chambers. Um

there's political echo e echo chambers on Reddit.

Um there are there is one subreddit that I was I read like every day for the past decade. And you know, I deleted this app

decade. And you know, I deleted this app last night. Uh, but this the collapse

night. Uh, but this the collapse subreddit. It t it it talks about um the

subreddit. It t it it talks about um the unsustainability of civilization and there are many good scientific articles about about this

topic. But there's a lot of

topic. But there's a lot of fear-mongering too um that is uh twisting the the actual facts to make

it perceive that there's a bigger pro excuse me bigger problem about that particular topic than there is. That being said, we have a really

is. That being said, we have a really big problem about civilization being unsustainable.

Now, I'm grateful for the contributors to the collapse subreddit. Excuse me. I'm grateful to

subreddit. Excuse me. I'm grateful to the people that contribute to that and comment on that because I I learned a whole bunch, but I also could tell that

it was affecting my mind and my perception of the world.

Um, I think it was invaluable to me to learn the information that I did, but I think it also harmed me in the process.

Um, I think it made me well maybe appropriately pessimistic about the chances of our civilization surviving. I think it's actually very

surviving. I think it's actually very low.

Um uh but talking about that and thinking about that is not conducive to

a peaceful happy mental state.

So, um, and there was a lot of fear-mongering on that on that that I I had to try to tune out, but it's hard to tune that out and then just find the

scientific articles and things talking about um like energy use and and uh uh changes to the environment. Um, it's

hard to just look at those and not look at the ones that are like people eliciting fear and outrage or being just flat out

depressed.

So, was it helpful? Yes. Was it hurtful?

Yes. I I think these it's the social media whatever form it is and I've never used Twitter either surprisingly but I never used Twitter or X whatever you

want to call it. I think what these things do is they use that computer algorithm this AI to figure out exactly what you're

predisposed to and it magnifies it. So let's say in my case

um I have a predisposition to being concerned about what we're doing to the environment. Okay. So that also comes

environment. Okay. So that also comes with a little bit of fear, a little bit of anxiety, um and a little bit of anger about what

we're doing to the forest, the fishies, the the birds, the insects, and each other.

So just that concern comes with a little bit of fear, a little bit of anxiety, and a little bit of rage or anger.

that algorithm sees what I'm reading and I'm clicking on and then it's like, "Oh,

Gooby Gooby seems to be predisposed to being pessimistic and and wanting to see

things that stoke fear or anxiety or um rage.

So, let's kind of let's let's give Gooby some some rage bait here and maybe some fear bait there. Not all the time, but just, you

there. Not all the time, but just, you know, a little bit here, a little bit there. We'll see what happens. And I say

there. We'll see what happens. And I say I click on it. I'm like, "Oh my gosh, this is horrible. What? I can't believe this person did this thing." Or, "I can't believe that person said that

thing." Like, "Oh my gosh, our society

thing." Like, "Oh my gosh, our society is falling apart."

Um, and then the algorithm is like, "Oh, Gooby really spent a lot of time reading those articles and looking at those videos. I think it's time we give him a

videos. I think it's time we give him a little bit more." So, give give they give me a little bit more. And I'm like, "Oh man, this is worse than I thought."

Now, this is how it magnifies some small predispositions to be blown way out of proportion. So,

let's say there's somebody else, okay?

Not me. Let's say let's say they um

me. Let's say let's say they um um they don't live in a big city. They

live in the country. They farm and uh everyone around them in their town looks the same. They're all they're all white. There's no black people or Asian

white. There's no black people or Asian or Indian people. They're all white.

They all go to the same church in the morning, not on Sundays. And

um hardly anyone goes out of town except maybe to the big city like once once or twice a month. And the rest of the time you're just hanging out enjoying the beautiful mountains, the rivers, seeing

elk walk by.

Uh well, if that way of life starts to become tougher because things are more expensive, but your your ability to make money from growing the crops or selling

the cow uh u or the milk from the cow is not really going up, but all the costs of living are going up, the taxes on the land. Well, if I was that person, I

land. Well, if I was that person, I would be I'd be pissed. I'd be like, "The heck.

Why why why am I giving this money to some rich city person who doesn't care doesn't give two cents about me, you

know?

Um, I would I would I would be predisposed to being angry. I I would I would think if I was living in that

situation.

Um now I don't know cuz I don't live in that situation. I'm just trying to

that situation. I'm just trying to imagine and trying to empathize with that situation. Um but there's a lot of

that situation. Um but there's a lot of good things too, you know. There's

there's you you know your neighbors, you support your neighbors.

You've got beautiful mountains and forests. There's a lot of good things.

forests. There's a lot of good things.

But there's this other thing, this little bit of anger and this because everyone around you looks the same, this little bit of distrust of people that look different or think differently or

live in the city.

So then then now I'm that person and I go on social media and I look at things and then the algorithm

starts to figure out, oh this is Wooby. So not Gooby, but Wooby, the alternate version of me. Oh,

Wooby likes to look at this stuff. Well, they seem to be kind of

stuff. Well, they seem to be kind of distressful of people that look differently.

Maybe we should send them some videos about how foreigners are making people's lives difficult. Yeah. Okay. Let's let's just

difficult. Yeah. Okay. Let's let's just try a little bit of that. And now Ruby, I look at it. I'm like, "Oh my gosh, these foreigners, they're messing up people's

lives. Can't have

lives. Can't have that." And then the algorithm looks and

that." And then the algorithm looks and says, "Whoa, Ruby spent a lot of time looking at that."

Hm. Well, we were able to show Wooie some several ads, so let and we made money off of it, so let's keep going.

And then it shows Wooie some videos about distrusting educated people, like

science people that talk about the climate. It's like, "Oh, climate change

climate. It's like, "Oh, climate change is a hoax, huh? I knew those I knew those

hoax, huh? I knew those I knew those educated people were just trying to take advantage of regular folk like me." You

know, screw them. Yeah, climate change is a hoax, you know. See this this is how this this social media algorithm can take some

small predispositions and then magnify them and blow them up. Now all of a sudden

you've got Gooby living in the city. So

I got I got Gooby me living in the city and you know I went to MIT I went to a science and technology school. I studied

ec I studied biology but I took ecology classes and I look at what's happening to the environment the trees cut being

cut down loss of bio biod diversity microlastics I see CO2 uh and methane trapping sunlight heat glaciers melting

I see all these things and I'm like a we are we are we are in some we're in a we are in and a

pickle. Uh, and then now you got Wooby.

pickle. Uh, and then now you got Wooby.

Woo's on the other side. Woo is

like all those, you know, all those scientists are paid for by by these corporations that want to

take advantage of people like me. And

I I'm not going to have any of it. That's all bollocks.

it. That's all bollocks.

Now, let's say Wooie and Gooby meet on the street and I say, "Hey, Ruby, how's it going? You know, it's nice to meet you." Like, what how's your

how's your day going? And then Ubie Ubie says, "Well, you know, my day would be going my day is okay, but like you know those those darn foreigners and and

those people that just kind of keep making up fake news about climate change and then like Gooby, I'm here." And I'll be like,

"What? Oh,

"What? Oh, huh. Oh."

huh. Oh."

Um well like in my mind you know I think gosh I don't know where to start or if I started talking and then the other person if I started talking

and I'm like hey um well this actually happened yesterday. one of my friends that I

yesterday. one of my friends that I sometimes play with on online. Um, he

lives actually uh two or three hours south of where I am in in Washington state. So, I I live in Seattle and then

state. So, I I live in Seattle and then my friend lives in like a small town in Washington. And this actually literally

Washington. And this actually literally happened yesterday.

um uh we're playing and and um uh having a good time and then u my friend so we're going to say Wubby Wubby says oh

this this is true story says um I I'm getting a a lawnmower um delivered I'm getting a lawn mower

delivered uh tomorrow. So I say, "Oh, really? Well, what's so special about

really? Well, what's so special about this lawnmower?" And then Whoopy says,

this lawnmower?" And then Whoopy says, "Well, it's got double lever um uh double lever steering, so you can

make like tight circles. You can

actually like do you can you can spin around in a circle if you want, and it's the sitting lawn mower." And then and then I say, "Oh, well, that's that's really um that's really cool. Uh, can

you do a wheelie on it? And then, you know, Ruby laughs. Haha, no. I mean,

maybe. I guess I'll find out. And then I be and I laugh. I'm like, I'm thinking about the doing a wheelie on a lawn mower. I was like, that sounds pretty

mower. I was like, that sounds pretty dangerous. I'm thinking about like the

dangerous. I'm thinking about like the the cutting blades. If you do a wheelie, the cutting blades are exposed.

So, but then then I say I say um I say, "Hey, it's a good thing you uh got this lawnmower now because, you

know, with all these tariffs that are in in going into play, uh it's probably going to be really expensive to get that same lawnmower like a year from now or

six months from now." And then Booby says, "Well, China is going to pay for this. Uh that is it. These tariffs are

this. Uh that is it. These tariffs are going to hurt them way more than us, and they're going to cave." Uh I'm

like, "Oh, may maybe, but that totally didn't address what I was I I didn't say this." Uh but in my mind, I'm like that

this." Uh but in my mind, I'm like that that totally did not address what I was saying. was that it's probably going to

saying. was that it's probably going to be more expensive because there are tariffs. It in in Wuby's mind, it went

tariffs. It in in Wuby's mind, it went straight to well, we're hurting that other other person that looks different and it's from a as a

foreigner. And in my mind, I'm like, we

foreigner. And in my mind, I'm like, we literally have gone off the rails in our conversation. So, I just stopped talking

conversation. So, I just stopped talking about it because I like my friend. I

like Wooie. I like Ruby and I like playing with Ruby. I I think he's a really fun um person to play this game

with and he's really chill person, easy to talk to and um he's very good at playing this game at at shooting and communicating and

like um he he's very good at making decisions on his own without other

people's input but is taking in every everyone everyone in the squad in the group's um well-being into account. So I

mean it's like amazing team team member.

So yesterday this this thing happened and then I think both of us were like ah I really like that guy. I still like the

guy. I still like movie and I still will

guy. I still like movie and I still will play with him, but I'm not going to go anywhere near any of those kind of touchy, triggering topics.

Um because I I think social media um has really just polarized

everybody. Um it's hijacked our brains.

everybody. Um it's hijacked our brains.

It's ripping apart the cohesion that we have as neighbors. I I I like Whoopi, my

my real life friend who lives in a different in the same state, the same state, Washington state, but in a very different

circumstances. I really like him. I like

circumstances. I really like him. I like

playing with him. I think he likes me, too. And I think he likes playing with

too. And I think he likes playing with me, too. But yesterday, we had a little

me, too. But yesterday, we had a little bit of a tiff. Nothing bad happened. We

kept playing and we actually won a game and we called it our squad called it a day uh uh around our usual time.

Luckily, it was the last game and we won it and felt good and I'm looking forward to playing with Wubby again sometime. Um but I

sometime. Um but I I yeah I thought that this social media thing really

divides people. I it could have ruined

divides people. I it could have ruined my friendship with Wubby. I I like Wooie. I want to stay friends with

Wooie. I want to stay friends with Wubby. But this social media thing and

Wubby. But this social media thing and like the way it's programmed my brain to think and the way it's programmed his brain to think put us at odds

yesterday. I think that's very

yesterday. I think that's very dangerous.

um is very very very very dangerous. It's very

dangerous. It's very concerning. And then I watched that

concerning. And then I watched that documentary called The Social Dilemma which was talking about these very problems that I'm talking about

here. Uh and so I I I decided

here. Uh and so I I I decided um to delete the last social media thing that I have, which is Reddit. It's

gone. Uh, every morning when I would wake up, I would check the news. Um, and

oh, that that's that's an interesting one. Where do people get unbiased news

one. Where do people get unbiased news from? I think all news is somewhat

from? I think all news is somewhat biased, but where is the least least biased news? So, actually, I was looking

biased news? So, actually, I was looking it up and it seems like the least biased news is the Associated Press or uh like

a national public news source like NPR or But again, it's hard. everything is

slanted one way or the other, so it's hard to know. Um,

uh, but like looking at CNN or Fox News is probably the worst place to get news from because they're business. They are

just like the social media algorithms. They're telling you stories to elicit fear and and anger and outrage so that you keep watching and then you can watch

the commercials. Uh, so trying to find a

the commercials. Uh, so trying to find a news source that doesn't have that business model is like probably next to

impossible. But I think a publicly

impossible. But I think a publicly funded news source uh or a collaborative like I think a

Associated Press and National Public Radio would probably be the closest you can get. So, like in the morning when I

can get. So, like in the morning when I wake up, I check the news and then um I would check Reddit and then I would

wake up and I brush my teeth and make a green smoothie and take Doobie out to potty. Uh and I just feel kind of angry.

potty. Uh and I just feel kind of angry.

Just a little bit of anger and like a little bit of like life's kind of messed up.

But today, because I didn't have the app, I didn't look at it. Brushed my

teeth, made some green smoothie, and took Doobie out. And we were She pottied, and we're just standing out there and hearing the

birds, feeling the cool breeze, looking up at the clouds, and I felt happy. And I felt happy to be there with Dubie and be I'm

I'm grateful to be alive with my dog just to be alive too. There wasn't

this underlying anger and outrage that uh usually accompanies my mornings. So

yeah, it has a really powerful effect.

Now the last part of this talk I'm going to talk about YouTube um because I am making content for a social media

company YouTube um so and I get paid by YouTube for the ads that are shown in front of my

videos.

So h that is a problem. Well is it a problem? Uh, I think it could be a

problem? Uh, I think it could be a problem. So, that's why I'm going to

problem. So, that's why I'm going to talk about it.

Um, well, I for one, I had made like 150 shorts in this past year. This channel's

been around for a year. Um, and shorts are kind of fun. You know, they don't take as much effort as long long videos.

And I can show Doobie doing cute things and or some like some animal that like a great blue heron flying across the sound. Put it to some music. Pretty

sound. Put it to some music. Pretty

cool.

But when I watch the watch my own shorts to check the quality and the sound and everything, I get sucked into the

YouTube shorts just like I described earlier. just sucks me in. I become

earlier. just sucks me in. I become

zombified.

So, I'm think my I've decided I'm not going to make any more shorts. I'm going

to focus on long long-term long form videos. Um, I mean I'm because I I don't

videos. Um, I mean I'm because I I don't want other people to be sucked into zombie mode like I like

I like I do every time I look at shorts.

I I don't want that to happen to other people. Um

people. Um um right now this is my job making videos. this is how

videos. this is how I am able to buy some food and pay the rent.

Um, so I'm going to continue doing that, but I'm going to try to do it conscientiously.

Um, like one one of the one of the things that I have an option to do is put ads all the way through my video like every eight minutes. Um, and when I

watch like a TV show like on Amazon Prime, even though I have Prime and I watch the TV show, ads keep showing up

like every 8 to 10 minutes. It really

pisses me off. Like I I hate that because it really ruins the flow of the story. Like I like I'm really in tune

story. Like I like I'm really in tune with the characters and the story and the feelings that are going on. And then

all of a sudden, someone's trying to sell me some little robot that vacuums the floor. And I'm like, I really don't

the floor. And I'm like, I really don't give a crap about that robot. And but

that advertisement is so well made, it just sucks my attention. And I'm like, [Music] whoa. Huh? Maybe that robot's kind of

whoa. Huh? Maybe that robot's kind of cool. Maybe I do need that. No, I don't

cool. Maybe I do need that. No, I don't need that. It looks kind of cool. I like

need that. It looks kind of cool. I like

the music.

Um, yeah, it's messed up. So, for a while, for a couple weeks, I was enabling those ads, but I I think that's

a disservice to humanity. U, so at the expense of getting less reimbursement.

I'm only going to have ads in the very beginning of the video, not throughout it, because I think it ruins the experience. And people are commenting on

experience. And people are commenting on that too.

Um, so that that's another thing, a way to be in the system but not feed the bad parts of the system. And that brings me to the point

system. And that brings me to the point that there are some good things about social media. Um, there are videos that

social media. Um, there are videos that promote social cohesion, strengthening the fabric that holds us together.

video is about empathy and cooperation and appreciating each other's differences and coexisting peacefully um and helping each other or supporting

each other when needed, not all the time. Uh because really everyone should

time. Uh because really everyone should help themselves. Um but sometimes you

help themselves. Um but sometimes you need help from others. Uh and I think that's being a good neighbor is if someone really needs help in a certain

situation, you help them. But if someone constantly needs help, that's not a good situation. That's a very unhealthy

situation. That's a very unhealthy situation. I I don't think anyone should

situation. I I don't think anyone should be constantly helping someone else. That

is the other person taking advantage of the former. Um and that can end in

the former. Um and that can end in really harmful toxic relationships. Uh

but I digress a little bit. The there

are some good things about social media.

Um, we can share messages of hope and social cohesion and caring um and uh helping ourselves out like

trusting ourselves. How do you trust

trusting ourselves. How do you trust yourself and help yourself? How do you how how do you um take care of your body and your mind

and and your soul and your loved ones and your community and the other living creatures we live with, the trees, the birds and insects and

fish. There there are videos like that.

fish. There there are videos like that.

I try to make those videos and these videos get spread around the whole earth like this whole rock that we're living on that's

hurtling through outer space.

Um YouTube allows me to share these messages instantaneously around the whole planet. If I were to travel to

whole planet. If I were to travel to each city and tell this story in like a school hall, town hall, it would take me more than my

whole lifetime to to do that the way that me posting on YouTube does instantaneously. So, there are some good

instantaneously. So, there are some good things.

Um, so my my goal is to take care of my mind and my body. And I know that these

social media algorithms are highly corrosive to good health in the mind, body and soul and in the

community. Uh so be mindful of that and

community. Uh so be mindful of that and then work within the system

to make content that strengthens the social fabric that holds us together. That that is my that

is my goal and I hope it's other people's goals too. Um, I think we need more of that and um really we probably

need regulation on social media companies uh about how they promote their algorithms u because it really is destroying society

um because the motivation is not a healthy community. The motivation is

healthy community. The motivation is making the most money for the shareholders of that company.

So, those are my thoughts on why I deleted my last social media app excluding YouTube.

Um, yeah. Well, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts and um please be mindful if you're if you're if

you're regurgitating um very polarized talking points that you've heard many times through

social media because that's not helpful for anybody. Um this is a place

for anybody. Um this is a place for constructive discussion. It can include

constructive discussion. It can include criticism, but it's not a place for promoting this

hate and outrage that is uh everywhere on on the uh in social media. Hope you have a good day or

media. Hope you have a good day or evening. Bye.

evening. Bye.