Technology

I think it's akin to the sentiment that we see on here sometimes where people wish that Lemmy had bigger communities.

We've been conditioned to think more views/subscribers/upvotes is always a positive thing and you should always be aiming for more.

In reality (and imo), communities that have less members more successfully function as actual communities. Toxic conversations are a lot less likely to break out among people who've had a bunch of other conversations before and users who exhibit toxic behavior are socially shunned and shamed if not banned. (I'm massively generalizing here, but I don't want to write a book).

The way I've managed with my group is to just not have the other accounts and tell them that if they want to message me then they can install Signal. It's a bit of a filter as well; If they're not willing to do something as simple as install an app to talk to you, then they were not likely very good friends to begin with (imo).

In some sense they are not wrong.

The average person has no idea how technology works because these companies do everything for them for free in exchange for their private data.

It used to be common that kids would learn how to use computers to pirate music and burn CDs. Now the incentives to learn (free music/movies) is gone because Spotify and Google give you all you want for the low price of your privacy and eternal dependency on them for access to the fruits of technology.

Getting your privacy back means giving up those conveniences and learning to use the technology that you depend on. For most people that is too much to ask.

"Luckily" the deluge of algorithm enabled propaganda and resultant fascist resurgence have some people questioning this bargain.