Imagine if social media platforms like Facebook decided to be kinder, more humane, more mentally healthy places.

Imagine if they asked themselves,

couldn't we get more attention by being something people wanted to be on,

rather than something they feel is like their dirty habit or they feel guilty every time they go on there?

You know, I think about the, you know,

cigarettes didn't have the option of transforming into being exercise.

You know what I mean? You couldn't be like, you're gonna puff this and instead of nicotine,

you're just gonna like build your muscles and your lung capacity, right?

It's the hilarious world of depression. I'm John Mo.

And sometimes I'll be on Facebook or Twitter, maybe Instagram, and I'll think,

is this thing, this concept, social media, as a collective entity?

Is it good or is it very deeply bad?

I mean, I'm talking to people and humans, especially ones with depression, are well served by social contact.

On the other hand, no, I'm not talking to people.

I'm typing and reading and experiencing an artificially constructed version of the person that interacts with the constructed version of me.

Human contact is good for depression.

Social media, I'm not so sure.

Our guest is a longtime social media innovator and a thinker, writer, and speaker on the subject.

He's been a tech entrepreneur, started to tech companies,

and has been an advisor to the Obama administration.

He used social media to pull himself out of a depressive episode,

but he sees a lot of problems with it too.

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