The Social Delimma on Netflix

If you don't have a netflix, you can get the gist by watching any number of youtube clips of Tristan Harris, Max Stossel, etc.  Or could read commentary by Harris...

https://medium.com/thrive-global/how-technology-hijacks-peoples-minds-from-a-magician-and-google-s-design-ethicist-56d62ef5edf3

Terrific documentary!  Technology has provided some amazing tools.  But when the tools that are there for your use start intentionally manipulating your behavior - something is very wrong.

Ironic that while I am typing this, Mgoblog trying to sell me on coffee at Circle K and that damn lizard wants me to buy some insurance!

Plan to watch it this weekend. Social media does still have some benefits, but those have largely become lost in the last several years. Its now become a cancerous toxic wasteland that brings out the absolute worst side of people. 

I've already unfollowed or unfriended nearly 100 people on facebook, along with several organizations/companies I used to follow. It all became way too political, and the comment threads are like looking at the deepest, darkest recesses of the human mind. The only reason I've even kept my account is because a bunch of friends from college and I have a group we use for fantasy football updates. 

Delimma -dilemma, let's call the whole thing off.

I found this documentary absolutely fascinating as well. For those who haven't watched it yet, it's a bunch of interviews with former social media executives (some of whom were instrumental in the development of their various platforms) who are now concerned about what social media (i.e. their creations) are doing to modern society.

I was certainly aware of the data collection, personalized ads, etc., but it was truly astounding how intensely (and brilliantly) the goals of continuing your attention/engagement are pursued by these platforms. Some of those psychological concepts are common knowledge from 1960's-era experiments, but these very intelligent programmers have ruthlessly exploited the human brain's weaknesses to vast monetary gain.

They are fair as well: they point out how the creation of social media has resulted in many positive effects, and that the intentions at the outset weren't nefarious. It's just how these platforms have evolved over the last decade, how society has embraced them, and the many subsequent unintended consequences that are concerning.

Very, very interesting and disturbing. I second this and highly recommend it to anyone.

When western civilization falls, there will be a little bird and a lower case f on its gravestone.

Well worth the watch especially if you have young kids. Mine are 16, 14 and 11. I've had conversations with them about this exact stuff the last few years but it always comes across different/better when it's not from your parent.

Edit: Since it wasn't mentioned in the documentary much of the way social media works is based on the theory of "persuasive design" which B.J. Fogg from Stanford U is credited with perfecting. I thought much of his work and his lab came from a psychological perspective. Article below is a quick read about the topic but there are a lot of others out there.

https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/persuasive-design

Looks very interesting. Nothing we haven’t suspected, but to see it spelled out so plainly is chilling.

Everyone here knows better than to place too much energy into internet communications and connections!

I have been off fb for the better part of a decade. I also have a flip phone. I’m a firm believer the access and celebration of instant information/attention is horribly detrimental to society. I’m also a father of 2 and am prepping to fight this battle when my wee ones are old enough. Kids should be taught hobbies that increase mindfulness and self awareness, not have access to a network that encourages otherwise. Life in the slow lane with the ability to use these tools selectively is the way to go, but most people don’t have the awareness to realize the dopamine release from this behavior makes it akin to a drug usage. We need to start questioning advances in tech across the board before we decide to welcome it with open arms.

*And don't get me started with all the tech they're putting in cars....enough all ready!

I watched it the other night and yes indeed it is a must watch.  It is not just about danger to or impact on kids.  The issue goes well beyond kids.  These companies are doing or can do bad things, and their skillset is growing rapidly.  

This is one of the most important issues our society is facing.

I've been listening to Tristan Harris on some podcasts about this topic (like on Sam Harris). If you find that interesting, check out Harris. Lots of good thoughts in this space.

Too many on this thread think this is about Facebook.

Rather, it's about fundamental issues like which news we hear, what information we know, and other powerful tools that shape our thinking and behavior. This is much much broader than Facebook.

Society needs to grapple with this issue and hopefully soon, before really really bad things happen.

Dude to be honest this is mandatory viewing for everyone - not just those with kids. Most of us are glued to our phones and social media. The reason our country is in shambles right now is thanks to grown adults. Little doubt in my mind that social media is contributing heavily to that.

Great documentary by the way, and I'm glad to see this brought up here. Its an important topic.

Very interesting

So this is very topical for me. I'm about to release a document outlining a 21 day plan for how to get off of tech and social media next week. There is a lot to it but the upshot is that it is based on best practices from other fields. If anyone is interested they can look at the site (in beta) here: https://orpheuspledge.carrd.co

Social media is like credit cards.  You can control it and use it to your advantage if you're smart and approach it the rigtht way.  If not then it can take advantage of you. 

Strongly endorse this. I haven't yet read the comments, but I started watching this the other night at the recommendation of my 26 year old daughter. Fascinating, horrifying, intriguing. I am hoping that someone in the comments is an employee of Google / Facebook / Youtube / Snapchat / Tiktok / Instagram or other social media platforms of which I am unaware.

My daughter decided to remove social media from her cellphone. She hasn't eliminated accounts, but by not having on her phone, she doesn't end up spending so much time scrolling through them. I wonder how many people obsessively check their "likes" and comments.

There are certain ways in my career that I am "off the grid." Seeing this show makes me want to share less and less information. And part of me really dislikes that:  I see our society becoming more and more distrustful and cynical. In reading news reports, I always wonder about the bias or intent of the source. In social media, I never want to answer surveys or questions. I fear that my responses will simply be used to target me in advertising ways.

Someone told me last week about an app that removes all cookies from your devices, on a daily basis, if desired. I am more and more moving in this direction. I almost want to go to the library to order anything so that there is absolutely no one and no search engine going through my own devices.

Meta:  I haven't watchd the whole thing, but I'm curious if it addressing the place of Netflix in all of this.

It feels like this shouldn't have been eye opening to anyone, but I'm paranoid by nature.

Thanks for sharing.  Assuming they avoid the "Orange Man Bad" syndrome, it looks like it could be what "The Great Hack" should have been about.  not about Trump or Brexit, but about the lack of control we have over our data and how it's used against us.  Will be watching.  I have a Facebook, but am on it maybe 10 minutes a day.  The political divide on there made is unbearable.  I stopped watching the news because it turned into a disaster of negativity mixed with opinion pieces presented as facts.  Only reason I'm on FB at all is to interact with a few people who I don't communicate with any other way.  

I second the recommendation. It really bums me out because there are a lot of positive uses for Facebook that I enjoy. I use it to keep up with old friends, see what people have been up to, check out people's photos, research local businesses, etc. With that said, it has become an absolute dumpster fire of people sharing the dumbest crap imaginable without any critical thought about it. Perfectly normal people have been straight-up radicalized by content that gets crazier and crazier as they engage with it thanks to the algorithm.

don't they also have that quasi child porn "cuties"?

I was in advertising for years, with big clients, but before the internet became the main venue for advertisers. Targeting specific audiences has always gone on, and the attitude has always been caveat emptor, but this is so insidious because at least with conventional advertising, you know what product they're trying to sell you. But what alarms me the most is how easily people buy into conspiracy theories. Seriously, they're more skeptical about face cream and beer ads than they are about Pizzagate and QAnon. I'm not a social scientist so I don't know what this says about human behavior but it is disturbing. 

On a related topic, here’s a link to a great philosophical discussion, “The Information Crisis”, between Chris Hayes and David Roberts.
 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/51PjHwaY38dYAizkD079Rd?si=0Vsmo-aeTRGIGBfUUGqkSQ

It's a must see. Love this one...

”There are only two industries that call their customers ‘users’: illegal drugs and software.”

Between their series glamorizing teen suicide (12 Reasons Why) and their movie specializing little girls (Little Cuties), they get no more money from either my girlfriend nor myself. They have entertaining content, but I won’t fund hurting our kids.