What to do about "Big Tech"
Why is it that "Big Tech" always gets the blame?
27 May 2026 - The reason for this page is to document the technologies behind the issue of the use of Social Media, particularly but those under a certain age, what can be done to mitigate the problems introduced.
Infinite Scrolling and the inherent addictive nature of its implementation.
The problems related to age verification. How to do it and what you can do if you could.
Shooting the messenger
"Social media as bad for young people as smoking, top doctors say"
With all the news covered on the ills of Social Media.
25 May 2026 - News article on the BBC about Social Media being as dangerous as smoking. Quoting the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.
Having read some of the comments on the article I realise why I do not participate in such fora. I have written about me experiences with interactive forums in the past and the current Social Media has moved on considerably in the last 20 years!
The BBC News website is not strictly Social Media but the HYS (Have Your Say) comments are. Some of these are examples of why there is a problem with Social Media. Of course, in my opinion.
Smartphone Addiction
Rather than just being a problem with putting minors at risk when they are on the Internet, I think that the issue here is far more serious.
Top
One of the "issues" that ia talked about when the subject of the reasons that Social Media is less than "helpful" is the adictive nature of Infinite Scrolling.
Infinite scrolling
Making a search for "Endless Scroll" returned the following AI summary:
Endless scroll, also known as infinite scroll, is a web design technique where additional content loads continuously as the user scrolls down the page, eliminating the need for traditional pagination.
How it Works (AI summary)
Endless scroll dynamically loads more data as the user reaches the bottom of the page, often using JavaScript or AJAX to request new content from the server without refreshing the page. This creates a seamless browsing experience, giving the impression of an infinite amount of content.
Applications (AI summary)
Endless scroll is widely used on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as on content-heavy sites, such as image galleries, news feeds, and e-commerce product listings. It is particularly effective for engagement because it keeps users continuously exploring content without interruption.
Advantages (AI summary)
Improved engagement: Users are more likely to keep scrolling and viewing additional content.
Streamlined design: Reduces the need for pagination elements, giving a cleaner interface.
Mobile-friendly: Works well with touch gestures where scrolling is intuitive.
Drawbacks (AI summary)
Performance issues: Loading too much data at once can slow down browsers, especially on mobile devices.
Navigation problems: Users might find it difficult to reach specific sections or bookmarks.
Footer access: Essential information in the footer can become hard to reach.
Analytics and SEO: Endless scroll can complicate page tracking and search engine indexing if not implemented properly using techniques like dynamic URL updates.
Addictive nature
The Wikipedia page on Infinite Scrolling says aboyt addiction:
The lack of stopping cues has been described as a pathway to smartphone addiction and social media addiction.
The ability to turn this feature off is a point made in many reports and recomendations on what should be done about the use of Smartphones.
