[vkou]

Social networks only destroyed discourse.

This both destroys discourse, and centralizes the means of production into ~4 companies, with everyone else paying them an economic tax in order to be competitive.

[lotsofpulp]

Whatsapp provides tremendous utility. I remember paying far more “economic tax” before Whatsapp to communicate, with basically anyone in the world.

Facebook Marketplace also provides me with quite a bit utility.

[vkou]

Neither Whatsapp nor my landline is the kind of social network that I'm talking about.

[CamperBob2]

What "economic tax" was imposed by the Web, email, Usenet, and forums?

[lotsofpulp]

None, but for actual communication by lay people, it cost a ton of money for audio and video calls by having to pay their phone service provider a lot, or calling cards, or whatever.