SOCIAL MEDIA DILEMMA

• Social media dilemma

focuses on how big social
media companies
manipulate users by
using algorithms that
encourage addiction to
their platforms. It also
shows, fairly accurately,
how platforms harvest
personal data target
users with ads.
• Social media has opened up new channels
of commerce and given birth to direct-to-
consumer companies that we know and
love. Social media has allowed companies
in “outdated” sectors to find their feet
online, use their brand’s voice in an area
they haven’t explored before, and grow
their customer base.
• On the other hand, Social media has also
nurtured a new generation of entertrainers ,
enabling creatives to embrace a platform that
allows the reach of their talent to be limitless. It
has allowed romantic connections to bloom as
well that wouldn’t happen otherwise. The
connection, expansion, ideas and business
models are some positive aspects of social
media.
SOCIAL MEDIA PROS
• Cut down middlemen and
allow companies and
individuals to speak directly to
followers.
• Connect people who lost touch
long ago and wouldn’t be to
connect with each other
otherwise.
• Created many business
opportunities for E-com and
DTC companies.
• Gives people a way to express
themselves and connect with
like-minded people.
SOCIAL MEDIA CONS
• Addiction to refreshing
[ whether you know it or
not]
• People get used to
getting instant
gratification from having
attention on demand
• The loss of real life social
connections and social
skills.
• Information overloaded.
• As the cliché goes, “ with great power
comes great responsibility”. One must be
conscious of their desires, the need for
acceptance, and where one spend their
time. One is responsible for their life and
what to do with it. The social media
dilemma is only a life dilemma if you allow
it.
“YOU ARE BEING WATCHED’
• Any social media app you use [
facebook, instagram, twitter,
etc] use algorithms to improve
the experience for people
using it. For example at
facebook it certainly keep
records of what posts keep
you engaged and what you
like and then push up
notifications about the content
you would like to see. So every
step you take is being
recorded and watched
carefully.
“LIKE BUTTON WAS MADE TO
SPREAD POSTIVITYAND LOVE IN
THE WOLRD”.
• Social media touches the
vulnerability of teenagers who at
each point compare themselves to
others in terms of ‘how much likes
one got’, ‘how many followers one
have’, ‘how many comments one
get when they posts’, etc. Tristan
Harris [co-founder of the center
for humane technology] said while
they were inventing the like
button, their entire motivation
was, “ can we spread positivity
and love in the world?”. The idea
that, fast forward to today, teens
would be getting depressed.
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ARE
NOT A TOOL
• We think of our social media platforms as
a tool for keeping in touch with our friends
and family. That’s not true, a tool is
something that sits there patiently waiting
to be of use. As much as social media
would like us to believe it’s a tool, it’s not.
It nags us by sending a steady stream of
notifications and emails. It seduces us, it
manipulates us.
CAN SOCIAL MEDIA BE FIXED?
• So social media, in its current state,
has some major flaws. But we surely
can do something to protect ourselves
from it’s manipulation.
• First off, limiting the screen time would
be a soild start. Turning off the
notifications. Knowing what task one
want to complete and don’t get sucked
into infinite scroll.
• Secondly, call for social media
regulations. Right now, there are few
recent regulations focused on data
privacy. It’s a start. But with time
many such like regulations will come
along.
• Lastly, when social media is making
you feel anxious or depressed, take a
break.