I feel the same way.
Social media has its uses, but it is a huge distraction, social pacifer and i think it has done great damage to the creativity and community spirit that was previously inspired by boredom and the need to create community.
While BL is a website that could fall under the broad definition of "social media", i think it reflects people's lives and cultural participation more than FB or whatever.
If anything, BL inspires me to get out there and live my life, chase my dreams and experience the world - rather than feel sorry for myself because someone's carefully instagram/fb persona paints a pretty picture of their perfect - contrived, online - representations of their lives.
Communities, subcultures and the 'counter-culture' generally have become more abstract, less tactile, more superficial - and less grassroots and locally unique. The global cultural homogenisation of the modern world and information technology has many good points - but it has broken down the innovative and healthily competitive nature of local (for example) music scenes, and the real-world communities that spring up around them.
Not saying all internet community stuff is bad (that would be ironic/hypocritical of me, wouldn't it? Posting in eadd from western fucking australia!) - but it's changed the game, and the nature of community and culture; especially drug culture - lots of people's drug connect is even local or in the same country.
Dark net markets have changed drug culture, which in turn has altered the nature of online drug discussion boards.
With far less frequency, do i see people talk about the good gear they are getting in [insert general town or locality]. It has been replaced by subtle (preferably, goddammit!) references to scoring on DNMs.
Things have changed an awful lot in the drug world in the last 5 years; let alone the last 25-30 years (in reference the the rave scene).
The sanitised nature of pop culture generally is a whole other rant (dont get me started!) - but it has a lot to do with the decreased revenue of film, music, all kinds of media.
Everyone expects to be entertained for free these days - so the people who create much of this content - often can't make a buck from it...so, rarher than take risks, they play it safe.
Re-making/franchising old films is one example; journalistic standards have slipped so far into "clickbait" and so on....the money has dried up, so the risk-taking has too. Sanitation
