Yes, social media is a tool and it's our use of it that is important, but there is the whole McLuhan thing to take into consideration - The Media is the Message - which argues that the container of communication effects the content. So that Neil Postman (perhaps it was him) said something like the content of social media is the connectivity itself. Which I think is a pity. Of course it is then up to the individual user to rise above it, but this is difficult when it is so easy to remain a passive comsumer. And this is why Steemit appears to be different, in one way or another there is a complusion to take part in the conversation.