February 8, 2026
Scrollocalypse Now
Attention Media ≠ Social Media
From friend updates to feed traps: people say apps sold out for clicks
TLDR: The article claims big platforms turned social feeds into attention traps, while Mastodon feels like old-school, calm updates. Comments clap back at “fake notifications” and profit-first algorithms, sparking debate over discovery vs. control—why it matters: your screen time and sanity are on the line.
The author says social media morphed into attention media—from friendly updates to endless “you might like this” bait—and the crowd is here for the drama. One commenter dropped a mic with “Social networks ≠ social media,” basically declaring that your friend list got swapped for a slot machine. Another went full flamethrower, accusing platforms of “eating data” to blast fake notifications and hook “developing teen brains.” In plain speak: infinite scroll (pages that never end) and algorithmic feeds (computer picks what you see) turned your timeline into a loud megaphone for random strangers.
Not everyone’s doomscrolling, though. A few voices argued discovery isn’t evil—algorithms helped small creators get seen, and some folks actually like surprise finds. But the dominant vibe? “My attention is precious.” Mastodon joinmastodon.org got love for feeling like old-school Twitter: you follow a few interesting people and see their posts—period. No mystery alerts, no roulette feed. The memes flowed: “Alert goblins,” “scrollocalypse,” and “your phone’s a Tamagotchi that screams for dopamine.” Whether you call it Web 2.0 nostalgia or post-feed fatigue, the thread’s mood is clear—people want calm, human timelines, not casino apps in disguise.
Key Points
- •Early social media (Web 2.0) emphasized user choice: following people and receiving their updates directly.
- •Around 2012–2016, platforms introduced infinite scroll and reshaped notifications to drive engagement.
- •Notifications shifted from meaningful signals to engagement prompts, often surfacing irrelevant content.
- •Algorithmic feeds reduced posts from followed friends and increased content from strangers, altering the social experience.
- •Mastodon is cited as preserving a chronological, follow-based feed with no manipulative notifications, akin to early Twitter.