The Social Dilemma: A Critical Look at the Technological Development

Have you ever wondered how social media affects you?

Does keeping up with them make you happy or sad?

Maybe you experience that you see a lot of content tailored to your opinions, interests and personality. Maybe you experience that you unintentionally compare your life to the successes of other people.

No matter which experience you get from being on social media, there can be advantages to rethinking the influence they have on you. In the Netflix documentary “The Social Dilemma” the spotlight is on the ethical and psychological mechanisms at play in relation to the usage of social media and Google services.

Please be aware that this post may contain spoilers.

Our Human Nature In the Extreme

Humans are social beings. It may have seemed like a good thing when social media was created. A way to connect with old and new friends. New communities were created. You could follow people that you shared opinions with. But is that really a good thing?

More things are in need of consideration after having watched the documentary “The Social Dilemma” on Netflix. First of all the documentary clearly shows the political polarisation social media is creating. As a reason for why this is happening, the experts mention the fact that we most often follow people we agree with and thus become radicalised in our opinions. Another thing they mention is how fake news and conspiracy theories often reach a lot of people, because a lot of people interact with them. This makes the algorithms on for instance Facebook, Youtube and Instagram send out the content to a lot more people (it gets a bigger reach).

But how is this connected to our human nature you may be wondering. Simply put it has to do with our social nature. We are pack animals. We need each other to survive (quite literally). At the same time we feel our best, when we can mirror ourselves in others. Whether it is because we share personality traits, have similar opinions or interests. When we are connected in communities it creates a feeling of belonging.

Adding social media to that cocktail is a potentially dangerous recipe. As we have witnessed the past year with the attack on Capitol Hill and the spread of conspiracy theories related to the COVID-19. 

The Unethical Profit-Making Machine

So what happens, besides radicalisation, when the algorithms are impacting our lives? In the documentary there is a particular focus on mental health and addiction. Additionally, it is explained how the content we see across platforms is extremely individualised to make us spend more time on the platforms.

The content I get in my feed is not the same as what you get in yours. The algorithms learn how to recognise our likes and dislikes. They constantly adapt so they can show us content that they think we will like. All of it with the purpose of staying longer on the platforms. They do that for one reason. It makes them able to show us ads and make money. We are what these companies make their money on. We are the product.

The flipside of this business model is undeniable. More specifically, because the business model is killing people. Yes, people also get killed through radicalisation. But the unethical profit-making machine makes people kill themselves. Young people - and in particular young girls.

In the documentary they show a graphic demonstrating how suicide among American teenagegirls have exploded the last 10-20 years. Not so coincidentally, this period has been the one where social media usage became normal. The suicides are happening, because young girls are constantly comparing themselves with others online. The girls always try to adjust their appearance through filters and the like. The suicides happen because the young girls sense of self worth is tied to the likes and comments they get.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

When all of it sounds bad, what options are there to change the current situation?

The good thing about “The Social Dilemma” is that even though it presents the terrible consequences of social media usage, it also provides hope for the future. The people interviewed in the documentary demonstrate that insiders of the tech business are increasingly becoming critical of the unethical circumstances of placing profit over people (*cough* welcome to capitalism).

One of the interviewed persons even started an organisation that works to create a more ethical future within the tech industry (in particular Google and social media). I think part of the reason the documentary was created is because there is a growing need to place people and their welfare first. It is a need that critical voices everywhere are sharing. Not just within the tech industry, but in general. There is a reason why Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), #MeToo and the climate movement have been successful. 

The light is at the end of the tunnel and we will get there together.

As a last remark I want to share a positive quote from one of the interviewed people in the documentary:

"It is the critics that drive improvement. It is the critics that are the true optimists"