This is the correct response. Social media, as a construct, is not evil and dos not do harm to anyone. The commodification and commercialisation of social media by capitalistic companies is what has caused the harm we see today.
All of the harms and evils of social media can be boiled down to a single concept: the algorithm. Because algorithmic recommendation of content wants to encourage people to stay on a platform (for capitalistic reasons), and the most enticing and attention-grabbing content is hate-content, these companies have forced hate-inducing concepts down the throats of people in an endeavour to make more money and destroyed individuals and families/friends in the process.
If we regulate the algorithms, we regulate the harm without disempowering anyone. We can, and we should, regulate algorithms on social media to turn it back into what it was 20-odd years ago - a measure to keep in touch with people you know or care about.
Social media does cause harm. It tricks you into thinking you are socializing with those near you when you aren’t. It tricks you into thinking people are talking in good faith, similar to in person communication. Finally, social media is a huge attack vector for scams and abuse due to the anonymity and ability to connect anywhere in the world.
All of these things produce an overwhelmingly negative social experience from social media. That wouldn’t be a problem if our defining trait wasn’t how we socialize in groups. Socializing is as important as water and food for humans.
55% of any message is conveyed through nonverbal elements (facial expressions, gestures, posture, etc).
Crazy how social media is seen as this thing that we somehow have a beneficial relationship with in such a short period of time. Impossible. The brain hasn’t changed much in the past thousands of years.
This is the correct response. Social media, as a construct, is not evil and dos not do harm to anyone. The commodification and commercialisation of social media by capitalistic companies is what has caused the harm we see today.
All of the harms and evils of social media can be boiled down to a single concept: the algorithm. Because algorithmic recommendation of content wants to encourage people to stay on a platform (for capitalistic reasons), and the most enticing and attention-grabbing content is hate-content, these companies have forced hate-inducing concepts down the throats of people in an endeavour to make more money and destroyed individuals and families/friends in the process.
If we regulate the algorithms, we regulate the harm without disempowering anyone. We can, and we should, regulate algorithms on social media to turn it back into what it was 20-odd years ago - a measure to keep in touch with people you know or care about.
Social media does cause harm. It tricks you into thinking you are socializing with those near you when you aren’t. It tricks you into thinking people are talking in good faith, similar to in person communication. Finally, social media is a huge attack vector for scams and abuse due to the anonymity and ability to connect anywhere in the world.
All of these things produce an overwhelmingly negative social experience from social media. That wouldn’t be a problem if our defining trait wasn’t how we socialize in groups. Socializing is as important as water and food for humans.
55% of any message is conveyed through nonverbal elements (facial expressions, gestures, posture, etc).
Crazy how social media is seen as this thing that we somehow have a beneficial relationship with in such a short period of time. Impossible. The brain hasn’t changed much in the past thousands of years.