The Social Dilemma — draft
- what is the problem?
Social media platforms compete to get our attention. They try to get us on their apps as long as possible so that they can make more money out of us. It’s the users’ attention the product. “It’s the gradual, slight, imperceptible change in your own behavior and perception that is the product.”
The user-generated content has created a lot of issues, such as political polarization, loneliness, self-harm, fake news and etc.
2. why do we see these problems?
commercial interests. Tech companies provide free products and platforms to users and collect data from users. Advertisers pay tech companies to get/change users’ attention.
Tech companies make money from their users.
3. Can we change it? How do we change it?
We can change it. We have to change it. It’s going to take a long time. Turn off notifications. Delete apps. Put your phone away half an hour before sleep. Monitor your screen time.
