It seems today we live in a world where everyone is more connected, we live a happier life where you can watch happy videos online whenever you want, share your life with friends thousands of miles away in speeds once not even conceivable and where you can create new memories to hold forever, right?
Social so called media is definitionally social. It was the inception of globalisation, great e-commerce and means of communication that had never been so accessible. The leap was huge, creating overnight billionaires and a market that remains dominant and growing by the day. Globalisation on a real scale.
But in truth, are we really as well connected as we think we are? Do we become further dogmatised in this bubble we have created for ourselves, do we seek solace and comfort in a machine that alienates us beyond our understanding. Do we now stand in an age where everyone is so focused on being different that they're essentially the same? Are we in an environment of global isolation?
Studies by the University of Pittsburgh in the USA discovered the disproportionate rate of depression likelihood caused by negative social media interactions. They reckon a 10% increase in these types of interaction can lead to a 20% increase in likelihood of depression. How on earth did we get here?
Well, there are actually things that explain this and since this is the age of outing things for what they are using social media, lets do the same to the very tool we use. Social media companies' tactics are very clever as they target human psychology perfectly. You see, we all crave some sort of acceptance into the world. Even those of us who think we are completely aloof or 'too cool' have somewhat of a social pressure to adhere to some standard or to be a part of some social group. Its actually a feature of humanity postulated for years and accepted by most academics as being something of 'human nature'. And these social media giants aren't disconnected with this fact, ensuring the way we get our media is a reflection of this behaviour and the way they make their app only adds to this.
Lets start with the way you get your likes online, or what I call online cocaine. This method of making you wait until you go off the app or refresh to give you a whole heap of likes is very tactical and something like a hit of cocaine. A little sprinkle until you snort, at which point you're in and never leaving. Our cognitive senses want this, we love when we see ten or twenty people like our post because its like self assurance, it goes beyond people just being able to see what you're up to. Its now this high you get when you post, a high that you don't want to lose or give up.
Then we come onto cookies. A great little name for these nuggets of poison. "Come into the lair snow white and take a bite of the apple" says the CEO of TwitBook. You see, these little things are exactly as advertised, sweet little crumbs that you'll go on dropping as you enter and exit websites until the day you realise 'oh shit, I'm fat! my trousers don't fit, but the cookies are soooooo good!'. Okay so these are essentially the data particles you leave on social media when you search for things, look at articles or engage with media. Not bad right? I mean all that happens is that you'll see an advert related to a video you just watched or something you had just searched for. I mean data being lost or anything is never an issue cough Cambridge Analytica cough. But there is another issue at play here. Just like Sandy's little bubble in the ocean, you're trapped. So lets imagine a novice and naive fifteen year old searching 'labour party' one time on their social media. Innocent little search to be better informed about politics one may say, but another may see it as a cookie leaving its crumbs there and setting off a timer for a bomb. You see, unless this child now decides to explore the other side or keep a balance, theyre going to be bombarded with posts that act in 'accordance to your preferences', also known as the descent into an abyss.
Wait, dont leave just yet. I am aware, like I'm told by my mother, that I am a cynic and probably should be more positive about things. (I am also aware I ramble a lot). But my point with these critiques is to build a picture for the film we now all live in and my climax comes here.
I am concerned about us, not because the world is shitty (it has been for most of history in one way or another) but rather because I fear my nieces and nephews will be mere pawns in this game. Social media is a great tool and does so much for the world. It provides us with news of the world, it allows us to speak to loved ones, it allows us to build communities for things we never thought we could build communities for and most importantly it allows us to share cute videos of cats. But there is this fear that an indoctrination into this world for a new generation who wasnt a part of the transition, like myself and people of my age, this is the only norm they know. Yes, I'm not 'old' but I remember times of going out to socialise, calling my mate's house phone to get in touch and a time where my life wasnt controlled so much with what people thought. Its human nature to care about these things but in an age where an egg is the most liked photo and where people constantly define themselves with the actions of others, I fear we become reclusive in life and live now for the purpose of making others like our photos instead of liking us. We search for communities and look for people online whilst we could look up and out of our phones and speak to the person next to us. We look for coffee shops not to read or to do work but to find a charging socket and free WiFi.
Its a sad thought but I wonder whether this age of being 'woke' may just be the thing that puts the whole world in a continual darkness.
Social so called media is definitionally social. It was the inception of globalisation, great e-commerce and means of communication that had never been so accessible. The leap was huge, creating overnight billionaires and a market that remains dominant and growing by the day. Globalisation on a real scale.
But in truth, are we really as well connected as we think we are? Do we become further dogmatised in this bubble we have created for ourselves, do we seek solace and comfort in a machine that alienates us beyond our understanding. Do we now stand in an age where everyone is so focused on being different that they're essentially the same? Are we in an environment of global isolation?
Studies by the University of Pittsburgh in the USA discovered the disproportionate rate of depression likelihood caused by negative social media interactions. They reckon a 10% increase in these types of interaction can lead to a 20% increase in likelihood of depression. How on earth did we get here?
Well, there are actually things that explain this and since this is the age of outing things for what they are using social media, lets do the same to the very tool we use. Social media companies' tactics are very clever as they target human psychology perfectly. You see, we all crave some sort of acceptance into the world. Even those of us who think we are completely aloof or 'too cool' have somewhat of a social pressure to adhere to some standard or to be a part of some social group. Its actually a feature of humanity postulated for years and accepted by most academics as being something of 'human nature'. And these social media giants aren't disconnected with this fact, ensuring the way we get our media is a reflection of this behaviour and the way they make their app only adds to this.
Lets start with the way you get your likes online, or what I call online cocaine. This method of making you wait until you go off the app or refresh to give you a whole heap of likes is very tactical and something like a hit of cocaine. A little sprinkle until you snort, at which point you're in and never leaving. Our cognitive senses want this, we love when we see ten or twenty people like our post because its like self assurance, it goes beyond people just being able to see what you're up to. Its now this high you get when you post, a high that you don't want to lose or give up.
Then we come onto cookies. A great little name for these nuggets of poison. "Come into the lair snow white and take a bite of the apple" says the CEO of TwitBook. You see, these little things are exactly as advertised, sweet little crumbs that you'll go on dropping as you enter and exit websites until the day you realise 'oh shit, I'm fat! my trousers don't fit, but the cookies are soooooo good!'. Okay so these are essentially the data particles you leave on social media when you search for things, look at articles or engage with media. Not bad right? I mean all that happens is that you'll see an advert related to a video you just watched or something you had just searched for. I mean data being lost or anything is never an issue cough Cambridge Analytica cough. But there is another issue at play here. Just like Sandy's little bubble in the ocean, you're trapped. So lets imagine a novice and naive fifteen year old searching 'labour party' one time on their social media. Innocent little search to be better informed about politics one may say, but another may see it as a cookie leaving its crumbs there and setting off a timer for a bomb. You see, unless this child now decides to explore the other side or keep a balance, theyre going to be bombarded with posts that act in 'accordance to your preferences', also known as the descent into an abyss.
Wait, dont leave just yet. I am aware, like I'm told by my mother, that I am a cynic and probably should be more positive about things. (I am also aware I ramble a lot). But my point with these critiques is to build a picture for the film we now all live in and my climax comes here.
I am concerned about us, not because the world is shitty (it has been for most of history in one way or another) but rather because I fear my nieces and nephews will be mere pawns in this game. Social media is a great tool and does so much for the world. It provides us with news of the world, it allows us to speak to loved ones, it allows us to build communities for things we never thought we could build communities for and most importantly it allows us to share cute videos of cats. But there is this fear that an indoctrination into this world for a new generation who wasnt a part of the transition, like myself and people of my age, this is the only norm they know. Yes, I'm not 'old' but I remember times of going out to socialise, calling my mate's house phone to get in touch and a time where my life wasnt controlled so much with what people thought. Its human nature to care about these things but in an age where an egg is the most liked photo and where people constantly define themselves with the actions of others, I fear we become reclusive in life and live now for the purpose of making others like our photos instead of liking us. We search for communities and look for people online whilst we could look up and out of our phones and speak to the person next to us. We look for coffee shops not to read or to do work but to find a charging socket and free WiFi.
Its a sad thought but I wonder whether this age of being 'woke' may just be the thing that puts the whole world in a continual darkness.
a very interesting perspective
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