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Do you consider Lemmy/Reddit (and similar platforms) to be social media? (dubvee.org)

submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by ptz@dubvee.org to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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I had this discussion with a friend, and we really couldn't reach a consensus.

My friend thinks Lemmy (and other Reddit-like platforms) is social media because you're interacting with other people, liking/disliking submissions, and all the content is user-generated.

I think it isn't because you're not following individual people, just communities/topics. Though I concede there are some aspects of social media present, I feel that overall it's not because my view of social media is that you're primarily following individuals.

In my view, these link aggregator + comment platforms are more like an evolution of forums which both my friend and I agreed don't meet the criteria to be considered social media (though they maintain that Reddit-like platforms are social media while I do not).

So I'm asking Lemmy now to weigh in to help settle this friendly debate.

Edit: Thanks everyone! From the comments, it sounds like my friend and I are both right and both wrong. lol. Feel free to keep chiming in, but I have to go do the 9-5 thing that pays my mortgage and cloud hosting bills.

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[-] lazycouchpotato@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

To me they are social media.

You can also follow topics/communities on other platforms, and on Reddit you can follow people/accounts.

There's not much difference.

[-] Obi@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yeah it's more like a sliding scale where some platforms are deeply about following people, and some about topics, but I'm the end it's all social media.

I think one aspect OP didn't talk about is anonymity, for me the biggest differentiator is that on lemmy/Reddit you have no idea who the accounts are most of the time (and more importantly, nobody knows who you are).

[-] davidagain@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

I think they're antisocial media. Reddit more than lemmy, though, which feels a bit like a community sometimes.

this post was submitted on 10 May 2024

123 points (92.4% liked)

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