Social Media Analysis #3 - Tech Company's Mad Dash for Power!!!

Harris, T. 2017. How a Handful of Tech Companies Control Billions of Minds Every Day. TED Talk.

Premise

This dovetails into the last social media analysis, but instead of distraction, it instead refers to the idea of steering people's thoughts (although couched by saying in an ethical manner). The tools of social media are not evolving randomly, but are defied by a race for our attention.  They use persuasive - persuasive technology for the purposes of socialization working off the assumption of a most finite resource:  The attention span of the average human.  Outrage, in particular, is something that can be used to maximize marketing potential as it can be herded.

In response, the speaker requests a three-part response. Firstly, human beings are persuadable in a block of time and accepting it allows a form of enlightenment. Secondly, we need to develop new models of accountability transparency to avoid the clandestine nature of current info gathering.
Finally, we need to focus on the current era instead of the future and use social shepherds, as tools will only get more insidious over time and we need to empower the timeline so we have a happier future.  If we can focus on macro issues like climate change, most complex issues have it coordinate together.

Examples

Youtube autoplay allows a path of least resistance and taking advantage of that most human of traits, laziness,   to maximize the attention of their audience. As a result, other competitors, such as Netflix or Facebook, follow suit.

Snapchat is a common social media tool used by teenagers.  They have a simple metric known as  Snapstream that shows the number of days they communicated.  This tracking of blocks of time creates an incentive to share passwords to keep their Snapstream going.

Interest and Appeal

The goals of the persuader aligning with the goals of the persuade I get and understand.  I do like the idea of synergy that creates a mutually beneficial relationship that could be expanded and I do like a good model of information.  Despite this, it feels more tempting than a solution.

Impact of Talk

Social engineering takes away agency and removes the ability to communicate in our relationships.  While I'm starting to agree, why would there be any incentive in changing the model?

The model still relies on social shepherds and ethics that ultimately lead to a "who watches the watchman" dilemma.  Any social media tool would be reliant on the ethical consideration of the people involved.  It most likely would need regulation by a third party or it could create a situation where you are simply exchanging one trap for another.

Additionally, his argument from authority brought up "kids sending empty messages"  that smacked somewhat of agism.  This is an argument that dates back to the ancient Greeks and it seems to be a common complaint as every generation blames the one after for not following the rules.


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So what are your thoughts?

Is it even possible to create such a relationship without temptation rearing its ugly face?

Feel free to leave a comment below.  I'm curious about your feedback.

#socialmedia #technology #socialengineering