Gamified Social Media

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I've only been on Reddit for a week or so but I'm going to give it up.

I can cope on Wrong Planet because we don't have a points system. Nobody can 'like' or 'thumbs up' anything. That means nobody can thumbs down either and no post gets no likes. Closest we get is lack of replies - but that happens to almost all the threads for so long it doesn't really matter.

When I get likes and dislikes it changes me. It changes what I say and I get tempted to lie or hold back how I feel or think about things. I think it encourages hive mind. I've noticed this on a variety of sites/political points of view etc. It turns me into an extreme version of what other people want me to be rather than my own person. I do get popular but it isn't me.

Does anyone else feel this need to mask and mould themselves based on the site when using social media with points systems, like the 'like' system on Facebook and retweets on twitter?

If you go to youtube, they use the thumbs up and thumbs down and that can be quite hurtful too even if I have never seen the person. However, one thing I am trying to remember is not to rely on what others simply think of me and I think that's what social media is teaching people to do is worry about what others might think of you.

Yeah I think that too. I miss forums (except some exist still like this one). Even on Nation States where people have extreme views sometimes, it helps not to have that like thing so you feel like you're debating one person not everyone because they don't have that like dislike style system.

I use YouTube but only as a viewer. I don't even leave comments. You might think that means I don't use it a lot but I use it every day. I'm glad they don't ban people from lurking there.