The social media dilemma The Social Dilemma
Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2024 9:28 am
The documentary about the essay “ The Social Dilemma ” (available on Netflix) is generating quite a bit of buzz around the problems caused by the use of social media today.
It is true that the report itself is not done with the greatest rigor, and this makes you suspect that there is some interest behind it. In any case, I think it is a very good excuse to talk about a subject that concerns and worries us all for a long time.
Since the Internet has become part of our daily lives, but more specifically since the existence of social platforms (I include social networks and any platform with a clear social focus philippines girls telegram such as YouTube, or historical communities such as Reddit, and I would even talk about everything that steals our attention from mobile phones such as email), we have begun to see a series of problems that have affected us directly or indirectly.
From the initial fear of missing out ( FOMO ) , which leads us to check our phones every so often to see new content, to the more recent suspicions that some votes have been rigged through social media, or bot movements that have attacked this or that party.
After watching the report, the main conclusion I have drawn is that the danger is real and it is not about destroying social platforms, but rather about refocusing them and educating on their proper use.
The big problem I see with this is that many people do not believe there is a real problem, and that behind these platforms there are multi-million dollar businesses that are unlikely to change course if they do not have a significant economic incentive.
That said, let's move on to my analysis of the essay. I must tell you that it is not easy to digest. I will try to break it down into questions and answers, to help you better understand everything that is being said.
What problems can social media cause us?
A good starting point for analysis is to define the problems that social platforms can cause us. Let's name things.
Social media addiction
We start from the premise that we are biologically programmed to connect socially. We are social beings who tend to live in community and all positive contact generates dopamine in our body and this makes us feel good. Because of this basic principle, social networks are potentially addictive. Consciously or unconsciously, we seek constant reward. We all like to feel good, to feel that others accept us.
On the other hand, there is the need of the social networks themselves to make us stay as long as possible browsing their content. The more time we spend, the more advertising we will see and click on, and the more money the platform will make. And this leads them to disguise hooks to make you stay, as useful features, as things that are apparently for you to have a better experience, but what they really want is for you to stay longer to increase their income.
I'm talking about things as simple as: content suggestions, constant updates, infinite scrolling, notifications, tagging people in photos, likes , ellipses while they reply to you, etc.
One of the lapidary phrases that they mention and that we have heard more than once is:
“If you don’t pay for the product, you are the product”
This refers to the quintessential business model on the Internet. I give you something for free (content, services, etc.) in exchange for you viewing advertising and giving me your data. It's a model that works for large platforms and ecosystems, but for most portals it's not enough. But that's another discussion.
The point I want to make is a very simple one. Things in life are not free. If you get something for free on a website, it is because they are making a profit in some other way. In the case of these platforms, it is mainly through advertising revenue.
It is true that the report itself is not done with the greatest rigor, and this makes you suspect that there is some interest behind it. In any case, I think it is a very good excuse to talk about a subject that concerns and worries us all for a long time.
Since the Internet has become part of our daily lives, but more specifically since the existence of social platforms (I include social networks and any platform with a clear social focus philippines girls telegram such as YouTube, or historical communities such as Reddit, and I would even talk about everything that steals our attention from mobile phones such as email), we have begun to see a series of problems that have affected us directly or indirectly.
From the initial fear of missing out ( FOMO ) , which leads us to check our phones every so often to see new content, to the more recent suspicions that some votes have been rigged through social media, or bot movements that have attacked this or that party.
After watching the report, the main conclusion I have drawn is that the danger is real and it is not about destroying social platforms, but rather about refocusing them and educating on their proper use.
The big problem I see with this is that many people do not believe there is a real problem, and that behind these platforms there are multi-million dollar businesses that are unlikely to change course if they do not have a significant economic incentive.
That said, let's move on to my analysis of the essay. I must tell you that it is not easy to digest. I will try to break it down into questions and answers, to help you better understand everything that is being said.
What problems can social media cause us?
A good starting point for analysis is to define the problems that social platforms can cause us. Let's name things.
Social media addiction
We start from the premise that we are biologically programmed to connect socially. We are social beings who tend to live in community and all positive contact generates dopamine in our body and this makes us feel good. Because of this basic principle, social networks are potentially addictive. Consciously or unconsciously, we seek constant reward. We all like to feel good, to feel that others accept us.
On the other hand, there is the need of the social networks themselves to make us stay as long as possible browsing their content. The more time we spend, the more advertising we will see and click on, and the more money the platform will make. And this leads them to disguise hooks to make you stay, as useful features, as things that are apparently for you to have a better experience, but what they really want is for you to stay longer to increase their income.
I'm talking about things as simple as: content suggestions, constant updates, infinite scrolling, notifications, tagging people in photos, likes , ellipses while they reply to you, etc.
One of the lapidary phrases that they mention and that we have heard more than once is:
“If you don’t pay for the product, you are the product”
This refers to the quintessential business model on the Internet. I give you something for free (content, services, etc.) in exchange for you viewing advertising and giving me your data. It's a model that works for large platforms and ecosystems, but for most portals it's not enough. But that's another discussion.
The point I want to make is a very simple one. Things in life are not free. If you get something for free on a website, it is because they are making a profit in some other way. In the case of these platforms, it is mainly through advertising revenue.