In The Social Dilemma, directed by Jeff Orlowski, released in 2020, the truths and horrors of the incentives behind social media and its monetization and psychological control over its users is fully exposed.
I’d never seen this documentary/docudrama before, and I can confidently say that it left an impression on me. The documentary features interview style one-on-one’s with individuals in the tech field (ex-presidents of Facebook, Google designers, etc.), stories told and features from these individuals and their experiences, as well as a scripted and staged portion, that helps the viewer visualize how what is being discussed affects a user.
The comments that stuck with me most are definitely those that resonated on a personal level considering my own usage of social media. They discussed how social media is psychologically engineered to be similar to that of the slot machines in Las Vegas. How the hours will quickly move by as we get sucked into the never ending content Feed. How when our phone rests on a table, odds are the next time we pick it up, there will be some new information for us to consume.
A point was made that Silicon Valley began with the invention of new tech, software, hardware, but now new physical products are in the backseat as its new strategies that are being monetized most. They explained when nothing is being explicitly sold to you, you’re likely the one being sold. That was in regards to how these apps and platforms sell our own information to advertisers, who in return target you in their marketing schemes, as they’ll have the highest return on investment if you’re in their target demographic.
To be very honest, this movie was freaky. I didn’t love how targeted and part of the larger herd of sheep I felt and I think that while necessary and important information for me to know, I’m not sure what can be changed of the system that we all fall victim to, and therefore I’m left feeling a bit hopeless. I look forward to discussing this film in class as I think everyone should really consider watching it as it has given me a new perspective.
I watched The Social Dilemma last year and found that the messages left a profound impact on the way I perceive and interact with social media. The quote you included, “when nothing is being explicitly sold to you, you’re likely the one being sold” was certainly a harrowing realization I experienced myself. Once you realize that everything you do online– from the seconds spent looking at a certain post to the specific type of content that you prefer to look at– is tracked, it is difficult to use social media haphazardly. I am more aware of the time spent on each app, and when to say “okay I need to log off this app for the day”. I pride myself in being able to do this most of the time, but frequently will still fall victim to the ‘slot machine’ addiction style of social media. I worry for younger generations, who are undergoing major brain development while interacting heavily with social media and electronics. I do not think that they are growing up with the ability to manage their electronic usage in a healthy way, which will only carry on through their adult lives.
The idea that our data and attention are “sold” to advertisers is super scary to think about. Social media platforms often appear very user-focused on the surface, presented as though they are designed purely for our benefit. Algorithms are similarly framed as being “helpful,” allowing us to more easily sort through mass amounts of content to find whatever is most relevant. That being said, it’s freaky to think that we are almost a monetized “product” of the system. Our data isn’t collected to enhance our user experience, but is done so for companies to make money. While this whole concept is eerie, however, I think the most frightening part is that there’s nothing we can really do about it. Despite being aware that our data is being collected, we still rely on these social media platforms daily. These websites have inserted themselves into our culture, whether we like it or not. I personally would never be able to simply eliminate Instagram from my life regardless of what I know about its data collection, so I am curious what we can do (realistically speaking) to protect ourselves from these risks.
I also watched The Social Dilemma two years ago, and I could not stop telling my friends about it. It really emphasized the psychological control that you mentioned that social media demonstrates over us as human users, and it prevents us from connecting in more authentic ways with one another if we create a persona online that does not align with our true selves. I liked the comparison to Las Vegas machines in the way that social media and technological devices become so addicting that it consumes our brains, our lives and controls our interactions with others. We must remind ourselves to monitor our behaviors and time investments when using technology so we do not allow devices to rule our lives and behaviors on a daily basis.
I have never seen this movie, but I definitely am intrigued and want to now! The comparison of social media to slot machines really emphasizes how easy it is to get addicted to social media. How one can become blind to their surrounding and only focus on what is bringing them bright, and flashy, although temporary, satisfaction. The style of this docudrama sounds very interesting given that it pulls from personal anecdotes that resonate with the viewers who have experienced tech addiction.