The Dilemma with Social Media
The Social Dilemma is a Netflix documentary that aired in September of 2020. The documentary’s main idea is that social media and modern technology, a massive part of our daily lives, are essentially destroying humanity because of their ability to manipulate us. As technology grows and the platform figures out how to monetize, the “users” end up as the product, and advertisers become the customers.
This documentary resonates with me in a few ways. As a human, a person who uses social media daily, I am a HUGE advocate for user privacy and platform transparency. These platforms suck so much information out of you without the users realizing it because the platforms do not make it clear what types of data they are collecting from you. However, as an advertiser, this is why I even have a job. I work with these platforms, further pushing their manipulation tactics to try and convince other users to buy, click, like, share whatever my client is selling at the moment.
When TikTok was still relatively new from an advertising perspective, some reps came to visit, and the main selling point of why their platform will benefit advertisers was the length of time a user stayed in the platform. Tik Tok has the highest “time spent on the platform” at around an hour per session. The sales teams at this company see that as a selling point because, with their targeting capabilities, they are sure that if companies advertise with them, they can guarantee a more substantial possibility of exposure.
The second thing that resonated with me was the idea of a digital pacifier. I am an introvert, so any time I have to be surrounded by people, especially if I do not know them, the first thing I do is pull out my cell phone and scroll through social media. I can see how I have been manipulated into feeling like my social feeds are my safe haven because the content I am served is formulated off of my previous likes when I’m in a situation that makes me anxious a “familiar” place makes me feel more at ease.
Social media has distorted my reality of the real world and everyday life. All through undergrad, I was very much into beauty bloggers on youtube, I would be recommended one video after another, and as soon as I went to my news feed, the content from these bloggers would be the first thing I saw. Most of these bloggers were my age; they have nice cars, houses, take fantasy vacations and buy designer items like it’s nothing. This made me question often what I was doing with my life. I was working and going to school and felt as though I had nothing to show for it because another 23-yea-old just bought a mansion while I still lived at home.
One of the most significant components that need to change for technology usage to be healthier is notifications. The sounds and alerts of notifications are what consistently keep us going back to the platforms. Social media apps are designed to hijack our attention and entice us to spend as much time as possible on them. When we get a notification, our brains release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel good. And since our brains crave dopamine, we’re wired to find ways to trigger the release of it; this is where notifications come in. We unconsciously keep repeating the cycle with every alert and vibration of notifications. For that reason, I don’t have any notification alerts turned on, and why my phone is usually on do not disturb.
I go on a social media hiatus at least once a year as a means to break away from some of the nasty habits that accumulate over months of social usage. Because of this, I’m confident in my ability to stay away from my phone for 24 hours or more. Truthfully, I only use social media because all my friends and loved ones are on there; however, I find other ways to connect with the people I am closest to during my break.
After watching this documentary for the second time, I am still conflicted on what’s next for me to protect my privacy. I have my Identifier for Advertisers turned off to ensure that I am not sharing my information with any apps. Privacy changes are coming in the Apple iOS 14.5 software update that will also help keep apps from taking your personal information. While these changes look like a step in the right direction, it is just a bump in the road that will make platforms reevaluate how they continue to collect your valuable information.
