[simonw]

"Twitter is not a real place, it's just a social network"

The idea that what happens on the internet is unimportant compared to what happens "in real life" hadn't made sense for over a decade now.

The internet is real life.

[cirgue]

This is so utterly wrong it hurts. The internet is real life the same way that evening news is real life. It’s a self-referential funhouse mirror that’s useful exactly for understanding what people who post on the internet think, and “people who post on the internet” is a tiny, profoundly idiosyncratic group. Conflating their opinions with “real life” is a powerful solvent for rationality, empathy, and mental health.

[simonw]

Depending on demographics, including stage of life, many people talk to their real life friends online more than than they do in person.