If you work in social media, you couldn’t overlook Netflix documentary Social dilemma. How social media impact human behaviour and what we can do to change it? Have we ever really had control over media? Is that wrong that they earn money?
People are the product when we talk about social media products. It is the same with commercial TV, radio, newspaper. They sell our attention. It is nothing new what social media does in comparison to traditional media. But what is frustrated is that there is no supervisor to protect users – the product.
Official trailer of Netflix’s documentary The social dilemma
Answers to the questions like “Are social media getting all information about me even when I have a private chat?” are known: yes, they do. But how does artificial intelligence work to get our attention? And even more: what is the algorithm job to do with us? To get more and more likes, shares, subscribes, comments no matter if the content is trivial, scientific or violent.
The habits changes with evolution, not revolution.
Center for human technology is a NGO that really works on so many aspects of the negative social and psychological aspects of social media usage. The documentary and the whole campaign around the issue is not against social media, but to have more responsible attitude toward them.
Social media brought many great things like connecting families and people with similar interests, helping each other on a better level, showing different content that is many times overseen by traditional media etc. But on the other hand there is a negative impact, too. From spending too much time on social media and killing real life relationships to manipulation of artificial intelligence is a wide range of things that we can change it together.
We have to take the responsibility – from small to big steps to minimize the negative aspects. Our own behaviour on social media (especially content wise) is a reflection of our real life. It is not enough to say the state has to take care of it or the company like facebook, google etc. has to stop working.