Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse." -Sophocles.

Considering the digital world and its limitless expanse, this ancient quote deeply reflects the unintended consequences of social media, leading to major shifts in society. The Social Dilemma," on Netflix, a documentary by Jeff Orlowski, is one of its kind. A film, both enlightening and captivating, reveals the dark realities behind our digital presence.

Let's take a look at the key takeaways from this eye-opening documentary.

THE PANDORA'S BOX OF SOCIAL MEDIA

While skepticism towards social media existed, listening to the former employees of various social media platforms, such as Google, Facebook, Instagram, etc., was indeed an eye-opening experience.

The staff explained how technology and psychology are linked together to use algorithms that contribute to the addiction of their users. Tristan Harris, a former Google design ethicist, shared some powerful lines during his interview,

"If you're not paying for the product, you are the product."

This statement strongly aligns with Facebook's (previous) decade-long tagline, "It's free and always will be". Further proving that although monetary payment may not be involved, users are, in essence, paying with their time, attention, and mental well-being.

THE ATTENTION ECONOMY

"If something is a tool, it genuinely is just sitting there, waiting patiently. If something is not a tool, it's demanding things from you" 

-Tristan Harris.

Companies like Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube— they are all competing for your attention. Update after updates, offering the latest exciting technology are tactics to compel people to their screens. Addiction is not a side effect of these platforms, but their actual business model.

Social media is just not a tool anymore, at least for users. It is a place where your attention, interest, and time are being sold to the highest bidder. It's a business that helps corporations earn wealth from mining your attention.

FACT CHECK: THE ILLUSORY TRUTH EFFECT

The illusory Truth Effect describes the tendency for people to believe information is true after repeated exposure, regardless of its accuracy. The algorithms in social media use our current interest and present content related to it. Which people consume without any fact check.

“The platforms make it possible to spread manipulative narratives with phenomenal ease, and without very much money.” 

- Renée Diresta, research manager of Stanford Internet Observatory.

These platforms can affect behavior by changing the content that gets recommended to users while on social media, either positively or negatively. Basically, it alters reality by presenting distorted views of things as per users' interests.

Similarly, the constant exposure to misinformation or sometimes government-sponsored information on social media platforms can influence our belief systems about society, politics, and, ultimately, humanity.

CONCLUSION

The dynamics of social media and technology have far-reaching consequences, whether psychological, emotional, or spiritual, especially in young adults. The documentary was indeed scaringly captivating in demonstrating the realms of social media platforms. However, it fell short in offering practical solutions to address this pressing issue, particularly considering the deliberate exploitation of our psychology by companies aiming to foster addiction to their platforms.