[Cyclopath]

https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/news/otago0245054.html Young people are drinking less, because social media allows them to meet people without having to drink.

[NightOwl]

Weigh that one small study against many others showing increases in various pathologies (depression, loneliness, self-harm, suicide, etc.) due to social media, and ask yourself if the trade-off is worth it. I think not. Drunken partying is as old as mankind; living in a technological bubble without physical contact with other humans is something new, and clearly not healthy.

[neek]

Social media (in its present form) is the most devastating thing that happened to humanity since we chose automobiles over bicycles. But yes there are some upsides.

[Cyclopath]

... on that note. I wouldn't be shocked if we found out the same thing was also reducing fatalities on the road.

[neek]

Certainly is. I feel much safer knowing that half the people roaring up behind me have their noses buried in their phones. But soon the cars themselves will be murdering pedestrians, so there will be even less accountability than there is now.

[treeswarper]

I feel very secure when a car goes by and the reek of pot smoke pours out. That is a frequent occurrence around here.

[Bowregard]

[Cyclopath]

Only old people smoke marijuana. It stopped being rebellious when it became legal. Like Facebook, it isn't cool anymore.

[kbatku]

LOL The rate of marijuana use among youth dropped slightly after legalization. People don't smoke pot because it's "cool" they smoke it because they like the effect