maybe, just maybe, develop some in-person relationships with the people in your immediate social circle/geographic area. it worked really well up until around 30 years ago.
But yes, death of monolithic social media companies would be a good thing on many levels both individual, societal and political level. Especially the American social media media monopoly ending would be such a excellent thing. It has been as controlling over the world as the dollar or US military.
But some reputable publicists try and mitigate bullshit and overly intricate articles that doesn't add anything more than empty words and money to the writer.
The Verge does not in my opinion and tends to allow more worded crap articles than actual content that provides meaning.
I mean. I met my wife 23 years ago so some of us were still getting out and about. I mean 30 years ago was the 90's. Heck it was 93 and im not even sure aol was going yet or if you had to be on prodigy (or be at a college or presumably the military)
We had CompuServe in the '80s (apparently, it offered various services as far back as 1969). I know I had AOL in highschool in the mid-90s. I can't remember when I first used it. AOL, at least as I think of it, seems to have started in '91.