Timelines have become 'feeds' and one byproduct of this is that it almost doesn't matter who you're following anymore because your feed just ends up being a mashup of things the system thinks you'll engage with. There's a weird effect that occurs within this where it extends to friends, too. When I first started using IG, for instance, my friends and I posted a fair amount and it was a nice platform because it was a good way for a friend group to easily and conveniently share group photos and the likes and there was a genuine sense of human, friend-scale connection happening. (Facebook was much the same way, early on) But that function is severely diminished in today's experience. The amount of random algorithm engagement stuff has the added effect of reducing my interest in my actual friend's posts, meanwhile, there's a 'wag the dog' effect happening as well where people who are trying to promote their art or music or whatever increasingly feel they need to shape their content a certain way to appease the algorithm. The end result is the entire experience feels less human, less friendly, and all together kind of pointless.

And yet, despite it all, the dumb truth of it is the mindless scrolling and moderate amusement from it is still addictive just the same. My personal usage of social media has evolved away from posting and toward lurk/scrolling and along the way I feel like it's made me more distant from friends and human connection where it used to actually feel like it was a feasible proxy for it.

Weird shit.