The Social Dilemma


How many times have you heard mention of the negative impact of social media on our brains? The film "The Social Dilemma" (available on Netflix) addresses just that. The film alternates between two formats:  interviews with former employees of social media companies and scripted scenes depicting the influence of the apps (personified). To say it is alarming would be an understatement. 

The film explains that the social media apps we have all grown to love/hate/become obsessed with have three main goals:  engagement, growth, and advertising, and all of these goals are powered by algorithms. It identifies the problems that are created at the intersection of psychology + technology. 

When Facebook first became available to my school (Georgia State University) in early 2005, it was used by most people I knew as a platform to connect with classmates. At the time, we were only the second school in the state to gain access, as colleges and universities across the country were slowing being given access to the site. Over the years, more and more groups were "let in" until eventually it became a public platform. During this time, the platform itself, as well as its purpose, have morphed and changed as well. The term 'growth hacking' is used in the film to express the goal of the platform creators and designers. The goal is to reach as many people as possible and keep the users engaged with the platform as much as possible. Features that trigger notifications like "pokes", messages, likes, comments, and "people you may know" are all ways Facebook tries to maintain this engagement. These types of tools are ways to trigger our emotions without us realizing or knowing. 

"There are only two industries that call their customers 'users': illegal drugs and software." - Edward Tufte

 

Tristan Harris, founder of the Center for Humane Technology, said of apps like Facebook and Instagram, "If you're not paying for the product, you are the product." Tristan was recently a guest on the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard, where he talked in more depth about this concept. The film addresses the lack of content regulation on Facebook that leads to the spread of misinformation. Harris explains, "If we can't agree on what's true, then we can't navigate out of any of our problems." He also discusses the inherent problem with fact-checked, peer researched information being behind a paywall, while spurious opinions are available for free. 

Tristan Harris


According to Jonathan Haidt, PhD (also a previous guest of Armchair Expert), there has been an astronomical increase in anxiety and depression. Haidt says the number was stable until 2010-2011, when the numbers went up 62% for older teen girls, 189% for pre-teen girls, for cutting or self-harm. And the same pattern with suicide:  older teen girls went up 70%, pre-teen girls went up 151%. Haidt points to social media as the impetus for this change, because these girls were the first generation to get on social media in middle school. He recommends that parents set boundaries to remove all devices from children's bedrooms at a set time each night, create a "time budget" for use, and prohibit social media altogether until high school.

Jonathan Haidt


This eye-opening film is one all social media users should watch. It's made me more aware of my screen time and my relationship with social media in general. As these platforms become more and more integrated into our lives, it becomes increasingly more challenging to distance ourselves from them. I've included some links below to more information about the film, its contributors and their new projects, as well as reviews. 





Additional Resources:

Tim Kendall - Moment CEO, Former Pinterest President 

Aza Raskin - Co-Founder of Center for Humane Technology wrote himself software to break his addiction to reading Reddit

The Social Dilemma Fails to Tackle the Real Issues in Tech - Slate

The Social Dilemma Review:  Unplug and Run - NY Times





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