My son’s teacher got married this afternoon and I had done a lot of peopling earlier from the wedding; a few of my son’s classmates and their parents were present as well. Peopling for me meant I was going to have to do quiet time before I sleep.
I had a few chores waiting at home and when I was finished with the chores, it was time for my alone time and I was looking for a movie and boom… I clicked on The Social Dilemma
The 2020 Netflix Documentary was exactly what I needed on this Saturday evening when I wasn’t too sure about what genre I wanted to view.
The information there was so scary. It was worth every minute.
The documentary relays how social media has affected and controlled us humans, using us as tools and promoting addiction with the sole aim of making profit.
According to Wikipedia, “The documentary examines how social media’s design nurtures addiction to maximize profit, and its ability to manipulate people’s views, emotions, and behavior and spread conspiracy theories and disinformation. The film also examines social media’s effect on mental health, in particular, the mental health of adolescents and rising teen suicide rates“.
One line I have been ruminating on is the one where Tristan Harris says; “You have to ask yourself, Is this normal? Or have we all fallen under some kind of spell?”
Tristan Harris is a the former Design Ethicist at Google. Harris is a tech guy with a lot of conscience and moral values and just like him, I think we are under a spell. The people behind every social media platform build it in a way to keep you glued to your screen. The longer you stay there, the more they make.
I think social media is important in a few ways but I believe I need to have a life that does not depend on social media entirely. It is totally doable.
A few quotes that stayed with me:
“If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product” — Daniel Hövermann
” There are only two industries that call their customers “users”: illegal drugs and software.” — Edward Tufte
Want to cut back on social media a bit? First of all, you should watch this documentary and secondly, read my recommendations on Social Media Fasting
