In Company of One, around page 8, I wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a hackathon that led to the creation of \nFacebook\u2019s \u201cLike\u201d button, which arguably connects its ecosystem to the \nrest of the internet.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
It seems like a fairly innocuous sentence. While it\u2019s \nfactually true and fits into the overarching story, there\u2019s a huge \nfailure by omission on my part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I failed to mention is that the Like button is awful<\/em>. It\u2019s an awful feature from an awful company, from an awful type of product, run by horribly awful leadership. Let me explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, Facebook keeps getting into hot water because of the\n lines they\u2019re willing to cross to make money. It\u2019s not just Facebook, \nmost massive (tech) companies do it, but it\u2019s easy to single them out \nbecause they\u2019ve made so many morally gross decisions. Like selling user \ndata, exploiting teens who are feeling anxious or insecure, and even \npaying teens a pittance to watch and track their every move online. And,\n this is just what they\u2019ve been caught doing. Who knows what they\u2019ve \ngotten or are currently getting away with? Even with the bad PR, \nFacebook\u2019s profit is unscathed, showing that we\u2019re willing to trade our \nprivacy and data for \u201cfree\u201d use of their platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second, the Like button specifically creates intermittent \nreinforcement to heighten our desire for social approval. This has been \nstudied numerous times by behavioural psychologists, as a way to \nshortcut our dopamine system and make us take part in that behaviour far\n more than we should. As in, wanting social approval is a deep human \nneed (we\u2019re social creatures) and getting it at random intervals from \npeople liking our status updates on platforms like Facebook, keep us \nanxious and compulsively seeking more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Studies are finding that on average we spend 4 hours a day on our phones, checking them every 12 minutes\u2014on vacation<\/em> (it\u2019s far more if it\u2019s a work day). A lot of this has to do with \u201csocial\u201d media platforms being built specifically to encourage checking them as often as possible for those bursts of dopamine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third, these platforms being called \u201csocial platforms\u201d or \u201csocial media\u201d seem to be a huge misnomer. Research indicates using them increases\u2014not decreases\u2014loneliness and depression. The Like button specifically heightens anxiety and decreases feelings of self-worth. We use these platforms because we seek validation and human acknowledgement and interaction, but never get it. So we come back (at least every 12 minutes). Looking for self-worth on these platforms is a false dichotomy\u2014how can we increase \u201cself\u201d from external factors? How we can place any part of worth in the number of clicks we get on a heart after our updates?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Facebook\u2019s own former president, Sean Parker, said their \nplatform was \u201cexploiting vulnerability in human psychology\u201d. Facebook is\n easy to point at but every other platform like theirs, from Twitter to \ntheir Instagram, works the same way. Sean continued, \u201cThe short-term, \ndopamine-driven feedback loops we\u2019ve created are destroying how society \nworks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interactions on these platforms feel like social \ninteraction but since they\u2019re not we continue to crave it and continue \ncoming back. They shouldn\u2019t be called \u201csocial networks\u201d because they\u2019re \nmore exploitive than social. \u201cExploitive networks\u201d sounds harsh, but \nit\u2019s more honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which begs the question, what do we do now<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exits en masse sound great, as do digital detoxes, but \ngoing back to a Luddite life without tech seems a touch too far. \nPersonally, I\u2019ve spent years thinking about this subject. I don\u2019t want \nto support or use platforms that are detrimental not only to my own \nmental health but to our greater social fabric. So I\u2019m not on Facebook \nor Instagram. But I do use and enjoy Twitter (mostly because I use the \nplatform to start conversations that continue off of Twitter). I really \ndon\u2019t have the answer to how we should deal with or use these platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My favourite take on acknowledging and existing in a world where \u201csocial\u201d media exists is from Farhad Manjoo of the New York Times. He suggests we do three things to deal with any new platform (or technology) that comes out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Look at the business model, not just the product<\/strong>. If they don\u2019t charge the users, they\u2019re making money some other way. Probably selling the data you\u2019re freely giving them. So before joining another network or picking up a new piece of tech, consider how and where the money flows. <\/li>
- Stop feeding giants<\/strong>. Players in any market or industry that create monopolies undermine consumer choice and ruin innovation. But also, it\u2019s harder to be moral or ethical if you\u2019re required to rapidly grow and dominate at all costs (I wrote a whole book about this, as you probably remember). <\/li>
- Slow down<\/strong>. Early adopters of anything don\u2019t have the full story, full picture, or know the ramifications of using something. Plus, early versions of anything tend to be filled with bugs and security issues. Adopt new tech and platforms late, only after more information is available. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
I would add a final point, specifically in regards to \u201csocial media\u201d and that\u2019s to be aware. Specifically, be aware of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- If you\u2019re happier or sadder after using a platform.\n<\/li>
- How often you\u2019re using the platform, and if any free second you have defaults your behaviour to check in or refresh.\n<\/li>
- If you\u2019re feeling anxious when you\u2019re not using the platform and why.\n<\/li>
- If it\u2019s sparking joy.<\/em> Just kidding, but be aware of what benefits, if any, you\u2019re getting from the platform.\n<\/li>
- How you can use the platform as a tool for what you need, and not let it use you simply as a data-product to line its coffers.\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
These platforms like Facebook, with their \u201cLike\u201d buttons \ncould easily save the world by connecting us all and showing us how \nsimilar we all are. Or, they could ruin democracy and everything good \nthat exists, and turn us all into compulsive labourers of their \ntechnology, mindlessly feeding personal data to the algorithms for \naccess, pulling their slot machines again and again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we\u2019re craving human interaction, maybe we should stop \nlooking for it through likes and what the algorithm gives us. Maybe \ninstead of constantly wanting to refresh or check in we can slow down \nand listen. Maybe instead of using every free minute or every bit of \nspace in the day we can relish in the beauty of actual solitude. Maybe \nhaving regular and lengthy doses of giving ourselves the space to think \ncould be crucial for resilience, introspection and even creative \ninsight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And, maybe, instead that line in my book should read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a hackathon that led to the creation of \nFacebook\u2019s \u201cLike\u201d button, which arguably gives us more anxiety than we \nneed and drives detrimentally compulsive behaviour, exploiting our \nfreedom.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
It doesn\u2019t flow as nicely in the overarching story, but it\u2019s a lot more accurate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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