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by DANmode 10 days ago
You are an average of the 5 people you spend the most time around.

Do those people send you any blog links?

or solely vapid social media shite?

Note that. There’s overlap in other parts of life.

3 comments

> You are an average of the 5 people you spend the most time around.

Interesting claim, definitely not something valid for me, for better or worse. But I can see why it could be valid in general.

One person who texts me most often primarily sends vapid social media content. I disabled notifications on his texts and check them on my time, skipping most of them. I don't feel the need to cut someone out of my life who I've known for 20+ years over their instagram addiction (which seems to be what you're implying if I read between the lines).

The big AI push has made him more interested in what is happening with all these tech companies and he doesn't like it. I'm trying to use it nudge him off these platforms run by companies he claims to despise.

> I don't feel the need to cut someone out of my life who I've known for 20+ years over their instagram addiction

Then, bluntly, good luck fixing your own problem with the same.

How many decades will you nudge before realizing you’re yelling down a well?

These aren’t new concepts or tricks people are falling for.

I don’t have a problem with it. The only social media adjacent sites I use are YouTube and this one. Any other accounts I had in the past have either been deleted or deactivated for years now.

You’re theory, that my friend using Instagram translates into an addiction for me, doesn’t hold water. I spent 6 years where the 5 people I spent the most time with all smoked, and I’ve never had a cigarette in my life. Values are stronger than peer pressure, especially as an adult. By the end of those 6 years there was only one smoker left.

I’m not sure why you assume I should trend toward an unhealthy habit, instead of him trending toward a healthier habit, especially as his hate for the tech industry grows. I also don’t really care if he quits himself, I just want him to not send so many reels my way. He is already good about not being on his phone when hanging out in person. It’s not that big of a deal.

> I don’t have a problem with it

Then your reply is minorly off-topic, and unexpected, in the context your sibling commenter established.

> You’re theory, that my friend using Instagram translates into an addiction for me

Didn’t say it would cause anything for you. Just that if you had the same issue, it’ll cause you undue friction trying to fix it.

Glad you’re not one of them ;)
Likewise; you seem pretty resistant to positive change, and that’s dangerous to me.
Stay safe.