Has social networking been a net-positive for the world?

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

This question gets to the heart of the concept of "freedom". Increased freedom always needs to be balanced by increased self-control. This is actually my take on libertarianism - I'm naturally inclined to libertarian values, more so than liberal, conservative, socialist or totalitarian ones. But I don't find libertarianism to be convincing as a political ideology, because freedom needs to be balanced by self-control.

The problem is the advancement of human society has outpaced the evolution of our monkey brains. Humans are very smart animals when it comes to innovating and creating, but we're all held back by innate human characteristics. Dating apps can be a great thing, you can meet way more people than you would in daily life, it gives you the opportunity and freedom to find someone you really connect with. But it doesn't change the negative aspects of human nature. It also gives you the "freedom" to get addicted to empty, meaningless validation, or the "freedom" to indulge your most selfish and lustful demons. Social media can be a great place to learn new things, hear perspectives you otherwise wouldn't have, and see things from other people's POV, but it can also be a place where you indulge the tribalism, ignorance, and close-mindedness that we all have deep down, or lose touch with the real world in favor of a virtual "reality".

So I don't know if on a grand scheme of things this is a positive or a negative thing. At a societal level, it probably leans negative as of this exact moment in history - but at an individual level, it is what you make of it, and can be a very positive thing. The best thing we as individuals can do in a free society is to be disciplined and introspective people, and control the vices of our innate human imperfection with the virtues of our capacity to reason. This applies to anything you do in life, but I think even more so for social networking.