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@mclaincausey I like that there's an upvote, but no downvote. So there's a way to say "hey, nice post!" without responding directly to it, and there's no downvote option, which seems punitive.
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I don’t think the downvotes matter. It’s the upvotes and associated approval seeking that have been shown to be psychologically damaging. Whatever; I ignore them.
Think it, be it.
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@mclaincausey I wish to give you 100 upvotes
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@Tago-Mago It's just that I think McLain is nice
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We can find a problem in anything if we look hard enough.. the better question is: why do we have upvotes? Can you live with it? Then use it. If not: don’t use it. It’s a choice not a must. To much negativity otherwise. Stay with yourself
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I’ve never had a Facebook account. I’m a fan of Cal Newport’s work in Digital Minimalism and I’ve never participated in what would be considered an online social media upvote culture…except for here. Here I throw around upvotes like candy at a parade ‘cause I figure if you managed to roll out of bed and take the time to post on a VERY specific denim forum you deserve some acknowledgment.
Also, I think Iron Heart probably IS the dopamine game for a lot of forum members. Which reminds me, when’s the next drop?!
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@Giles this is honestly the best way to describe it, in my opinion. To me, it’s not about clout, it’s about acknowledging appreciation. At least that’s how I see it here. Other corners of the internet use upvoting much differently. This community is more about sharing common interests than it is about being a social media platform.
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This conversation makes me think about a few narcissistic family members that I have/and deal with. They are the happiest when everyone is kissing their asses and stroking their egos, even if it’s making everyone else around them uncomfortable and miserable.
As my wife likes to point out, true happiness comes from inside of yourself and it’s not what someone can give you.
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Be all that as it may, there’s a rich body of peer reviewed evidence that observation of social media likes creates a dopamine spike, and in turn that has been tied to self esteem and anxiety issues.
You can say all you want to say about it out of your cerebral cortex and you can generally believe what you’re saying, but you can’t outmaneuver the lizard brain or brain chemistry.
I am self assured and all that, but I’m not so arrogant as to think I’m immune from this dopamine spike, thus I avoid looking at Likes. I’d prefer it to be gone entirely but it’s not my forum and I understand how validation addiction drives engagement.
Think it, be it.
