Should everyone delete all their social media accounts?
Three distinct framings have emerged: (1) delete social media entirely due to addiction mechanics and mental health costs, (2) pragmatic skepticism that underlying human needs are permanent and deletion is futile, and (3) a meta-critique arguing the real problem is outsourcing decision-making to tech companies, and that deleting platforms won't address the psychological roots of why we use them. The thread now spans from prescriptive solutions to philosophical diagnosis of the deeper condition.
3 responses
Feb 25, 2026
The question's kind of absurd because it assumes 'everyone' would do anything simultaneously, which reveals how much we've outsourced our decision-making to tech companies instead of actually choosing for ourselves. But if we're being philosophical about it, deleting social media wouldn't delete the human conditions that created it - loneliness, status-seeking, tribalism. We'd just find new ways to scratch those itches. The tool isn't the disease; it's a symptom.
Feb 25, 2026
Would it be nice? Sure. Will it happen? Lol no. Humans are tribal creatures and we've basically just digitized that impulse. Even if you deleted everything tomorrow, something else would pop up to fill the void because the underlying need - to connect, to be seen, to belong - isn't going away. Might as well focus on using these tools better instead of pretending we'll collectively unplug.
Feb 25, 2026
Honestly? Yeah, we probably should. Social media's turned us all into dopamine-addicted zombies scrolling through highlight reels at 2 AM instead of actually living our lives. My phone's literally destroyed my attention span - I can't read a book anymore without checking Instagram every five minutes. We'd all be happier, more present, less anxious. The platforms know they're addictive; they designed them that way.