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> Has social media been a benefit for humanity?

I think there's countless people that didn't come from big cities or tech circles that managed to make friends across the world and get better paying jobs and move out from their home country thanks to social media. I even have friends that started businesses together after meeting on social media

So yes it's been a benefit for humanity!

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I’d suggest that certain persons have benefited for sure but that doesn’t make the case that Twitter et al have been a net positive for humanity.

My personal view is that they have not been a net positive for humanity and have created a generation of young people with more mental health issues and less attention span amongst other issues.

It's difficult to measure whether something is a net benefit for humanity, and even if it were possible, that shouldn't be a factor in deciding whether or not it should exist. For example, if candy is potentially net negative to society as a whole but brings joy to an individual, should that person be denied the opportunity to make the choice for themselves and enjoy it? I believe that people should be allowed to make their own mistakes and learn from them. A world in which we prevent people from making their own decisions and only allow them to choose from net positive options is immensely bleak.

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