10 things we learnt by watching The Social Dilemma
You’ve probably heard about Netflix’s latest documentary, The Social Dilemma, by now (ironically, you’ve probably seen it all over your newsfeed) - but for good reason. Essentially, the documentary is an expose on social media, featuring commentary and interviews with some of the top tech geniuses from Silicon Valley (think vice presidents, designers and product engineers of Facebook, Twitter, Google, Instagram, Youtube and more). From humble beginnings of how the idea for the ‘Like’ button on Facebook was conceived, we’re taken on a journey of how social media has evolved from a positive way to connect people, into a money making machine - and most importantly, how that’s impacting our lives.
It’s eye opening to say the least, and while it might shock you, it’s worth the watch. As well as unpacking all the behind the scenes features of the social algorithm you might not be aware of, there’s also plenty of take-aways for you, to help you navigate the digital world and take back control of your social media and use it on your own terms - so here are the top 10 things that we learnt.
1. Turn off all your notifications!
Use your devices on your own terms, rather than the way the apps dictate. They’re designed to demand your attention - but they can’t get to you every minute of every day if you don’t bow down to their attention-grabbing tactics. Tools and device features like Apple’s screen time helps you keep your usage under control, so make sure you use them. Here’s a few other resources and tips for taking control of your device: www.humanetech.com/take-control.
2. Lobby for change.
We can’t keep doing the same thing over and over, and expecting things to change. Tell your local MP or ask our Privacy Commissioner what they’re doing about it - individual action will bring change on a larger scale, likely on a country by country basis. Watch overseas to see what’s happening - recently the Australian government has taken action to pass a law that would make sites like Google and Facebook pay media firms for the news coverage. The result? The tech giants flat out refused and threatened to block all news sharing in Australia if the law goes ahead. New Zealand will probably follow suit here.
The key here is that we can’t rely on the platforms to self-regulate; they have built these problems, and they cannot build their way out of them. They may not have had nefarious intentions when they first began, but they can’t tell who will use the features with bad intentions. Regulation needs to come from outside, and that starts with us as individuals.
3. “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.”
Be aware of that when you sign up to anything that doesn’t charge you. Think about how they’re making money, and why it’s ‘free’ for you to use. On these social platforms, people are the product and our attention is being sold to advertisers. It’s not always bad, but you need to be aware of what you’re selling in order to access these services for ‘free’.
4. You vote with your clicks.
If you don’t like clickbait - don’t click on it!! The things you click on tell the platforms and the businesses that own the content that they should do more of that. For every click you make, there is a publisher in the background who sees that piece of content doing well, and they make more of it - which then gets shown to you again because you’ve clicked on it in the past. Your clicks are valuable, so treat them that way. Don’t give your attention to things you don’t like or don’t want to see.
5. You’re living in an echo chamber.
It’s important to know that your feed is curated for you, and that no two feeds will look exactly the same. Be aware that what you see on Facebook isn’t everything that’s out there - others don’t always share the same views as you and don’t see the same content as you, you’re seeing it as that’s what you interact with. Make sure you actively seek out diverse sources or opinions to be sure you have a well-rounded view of an issue. Polarisation is at an all-time high and finding middle ground is harder than ever for humans. This has massive implications for the world, and how we solve issues like climate change. How are we going to band together to make real change, when we are more polarised than ever?
“The way to think about it is as 2.5 billion Truman Shows. Each person has their own reality with their own facts. Over time you have the false sense that everyone agrees with you because everyone in your news feed sounds just like you. Once you're in that state, it turns out you're easily manipulated.”
- Roger McNamee, Early investor venture capitalist in Facebook.
6. Fake news spreads 6x faster than the truth.
And it’s usually because it’s so shocking. If you think it’s too wild to be true, it probably is. Which brings us to our next point....
7. Fact check before you share or comment.
Do your research; check the source, look at the intention of the information before you like, share, or comment. Be aware of fake news and if you’re not sure about it, then don’t share.
8. Your self-worth and identity is not your social media presence.
We receive dopamine hits when we get new followers or likes on our posts, but remember the platforms have been designed to make you feel like your sense of self-worth is tied to how much engagement you get on your content. It shouldn’t be. Be aware of that, and take steps to ensure that you’re not falling victim to their attention seeking ways.
It’s also more important than ever to be very careful when allowing your children to use social media - their mental wellbeing is at stake. With many of the tech commentators in the movie saying they’d never let their children use social media, you know it’s no joke.
9. What’s the worst that could happen?
To quote one of the experts in the film - “A civil war.” There are much bigger consequences that could come out of this if we don’t take it seriously and demand change from these platforms. Between unregulated platforms, fake news, and the huge polarisation taking place across the globe, we could genuinely end up in a civil war type situation through wilful ignorance. We need to demand change, and ensure that we take steps to fight this before it’s out of our control.
10. Be conscious of what you’re doing on social.
So after all of this, will people really get off social media? Honestly, probably not - but it definitely makes people more conscious of it. As marketers or business owners, this means that you need to use the platforms consciously and be mindful of your intentions. Is your content useful, or adding value? Or are you setting out to manipulate the audience for your own gains? Question your intentions, be conscious of your motivations, and demand change; social media will be better for it.