I wonder if anyone from an undemocratic country can weigh in about whether social media is most toxic in democratic societies.
I kind of see the point. In an aristocratic society, for instance, people might care about follower status more than follower count.
I also think democracy pits people against each other. It's like a constant low-intensity civil war and social media is one of the battle fields.
Social media tends to be blamed for the overall nastiness of public discourse. Instead of condemning this form of communication, condemn the fuel that feeds this conflagration: democracy.