The Complete Death of Social Conversations on Social Networks

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If I look at Binstagram and Threads, and other Facebook owned sites I notice that conversations are completely dead. I was also looking at Twitter (now X) and I was also struck by how few conversations are taking place. I barely see any conversations. I see people posting, but I see little sign of interaction.

As I look at Facebook, and Twitter, and the lack of conversation I come to the conclusion that we can now delete our accounts on both and lose nothing. Years ago, we would have been isolated, but not today.

I think people have moved to Facebook owned Binstagram and Whatscrapp. For a while I was thinking “But how do I join the Whatscrapp group, until I realised that their “on our bio” page meant on Binstagram.

The question I find myself asking, regularly, is, ‘Why do we keep checking these sites today?’ In theory we see events. In theory we see local government information. We see information about local fires. We see information about the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes, but we don’t actually find conversations.

TikTok is not about conversation. Facebook is not about conversation. Whatscrapp is barely about conversations today.

It’s bizarre to watch the evolution because it makes no sense. “Content creators” i.e. community video enthusiasts are generating content for social networks where conversation has vanished. They’re creating content for people to watch, on a platform that we have no rational reason to use.

Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube want us to watch reels. These are not videos by solitary people looking for human connection and company. These are utilitarian videos by people with full family lives, with marriage, children and a steady job. These are people that want an audience, rather than a connection. These are utilitarian people that are using us and our attention.

The Human level connection is destroyed. We are no longer connected. Social media has become a broadcast, rather than a communal conversation. The death of conversation is why social media is dead.

People have been so busy saying that the Internet is addictive since the 90s, and that social media is addictive, not real, and unhealthy that when people abused social media it was seen as proof of their negative opinion, rather than a reflection of reality.

Yesterday I went out for a social bike ride, and for the first few minutes it was. Then the climbing started, and then the group exploded, and then the ride became a race rather than social. For those with thousands spent on bikes it was an easy ride. For those with a smaller budget it became attrition.

Every single day, for three decades I have heard that the internet, social networks and then social media is an addiction and yet yesterday, during the ride, the addicts weren’t me, rushing to get back to the computer. It was normal people with normal lives heading back to their football addiction.

Remember what they say about addiction? If you get up absurdly early, you’re an addict. If you miss sleep for it you’re an addict. If you interrupt a social event to get to your habit, you’re an addict.

Luckily the football addiction is almost over for this world cup, and then it is back to normal. Social rides will, once again, be social, if we can keep up.

It’s worth highlighting that this racing is a normal part of group rides, and it’s because this racing is normal, that I shifted towards running instead. I enjoy competing, but we’re not competing on equal ground. Everyone but me has deep wheels, almost everyone has carbon wheels, and carbon frames, and a good gear set and more. With running the only possible upgrade are shoes so we’re level.

In the end, if social media is dead, as a place to socialise, we might as well use Strava and meetup to find sporting opportunities to be social.