I know I’m a weird millennial because I don’t have social media apps on my phone, I rarely visit these sites on my computer, and I get annoyed when I see my peers impulsively turn to social media when there’s a lull in the conversation.
Before some of you stop reading because you love your social media accounts and find joy in connecting with others virtually, let me say that not all social media use is bad. Its ability to keep distant family in the loop, reconnect old friends, and share inspiring messages does good.
I met my husband online, and he’s still the best thing I’ve ever got off the internet, so I’m not calling for us to go back to the caveman days of 1991.
I’m not writing this to shame people who post prolifically on social media or tell you that if you don’t delete your social media apps from your smartphone you’re responsible for the decline of civilization.
The point of this post is to explore the problems inherent in a world captured by social media. Just as ads for alcohol remind us to drink responsibly, more Americans should post and virtually socialize more responsibly. We should also be more aware of the digital world in which more of us are living. I’ve seen Tron: Legacy, and there’s always a catch to shiny new tech.
Democratic Death by A Thousand Tweets
I guess I’m one of those old people since I remember the launch of Facebook. One thing I recall is how so many believed that the rise of social media would finally democratize our political debates since the average citizen now had access to a more universal political platform.
Fast forward and most of us would laugh at such a claim. We’ve have seen how nasty and personal political debates on social media can be. Everyone is hidden behind a digital avatar of sorts and rarely has to live with the consequences of our ill treatment of each other. As a result, we’ve gotten used to tearing our opposition apart instead of considering an alternative viewpoint.
Then there’s the clear partisan bias among the social media elites who suppress information like the story on Hunter Biden’s laptop before the 2020 presidential election, shadow ban politicians whom they don’t like so users can’t find and follow them, suspend or delete accounts that dare dissent too loudly, and throw their weight behind one party in an attempt to sway election results like Zuckerberg did less than two years ago.
It’s one thing to tune into CNN or Fox News, channels that delineate themselves based on the ideological commitments of their commentators and hosts. It’s another thing to get onto a social media platform that hides its ideology behind algorithms and claims to facilitate authentic political debates.
And that’s another thing. Not only is our feed on social media sites cultivated in such a way that we tend to see only the things which with we are likely to agree. Now Musk’s pending offer to purchase Twitter has unearthed revelations that possibly 20% of Twitter accounts are fake. That’s 1 in 5 accounts!
So, we’re being manipulated into never-ending scrolling of curated news feeds that keep us online longer (and allow social media sites to rake in more dough). On top of that, what we think has a growing democratic consensus may just be the self-righteous thumb of media elites on the scale.
Dangers of a Digital Adolescence
Junior high and high school were bad enough for some back in the old days when kids went home and escaped the scrutiny of their peers, at least for a while. These days, peer pressure follows vulnerable, young minds wherever they go with their glowing rectangles.
Perfect, air-brushed bodies no longer exist solely on billboards and TV. Now our youth create more personal connections to social media influencers, some of whom encourage eating disorders and the damaging pursuit of the perfect body. In the meantime, teens struggle with body image issues. Ironically, screen time replaces physical activity, something that is necessary for a healthy body and mind.
Increasingly, teens are turning to social media to understand their sadness, anxiety, or depression. While some teens find others than uplift them and walk with them, other teens tap into the darker side of social media, where depression, self-loathing, and suicide are romanticized and encouraged. Some bad actors take advantage of these lonely, confused teenagers and “groom” them into different genders or sexualities even if that has nothing to do with those teen’s feelings of angst.
Another side effect of the social media take-over is that virtual socialization is replacing more face to face interactions for young people, which means that while they can probably type more words per minute than older generations. But they’re also losing valuable social skills like being able to pick up on subtle facial cues. I guess that’s why movies today are devoid of subtext.
Another problem is that kids are exposed to more mature content, which is damaging enough to some adults with fully developed minds. I’m not going to go into the dirty details on this one. Obviously, being exposed to mature content that is disturbing to parents can do lasting damage to children. Sadly, since kids tend to be more tech savvy then adults, parental controls can only do so much. Seriously, if you put parental controls on your kids’ devices, go online and search for work arounds.
This isn’t to say that there isn’t an upside to social media for teens like the opportunity to connect with people like us, learn new skills, be encouraged in our endeavors, and express ourselves, and understand other ideas. All of this is valuable. That doesn’t mean we should ignore the costs.
When Greed Isn’t Good
When it comes to social media, we aren’t buying. We’re selling. We’re selling our microdata and digital profiles in exchange for access to the bells and whistles on social media sites and apps.
The first problem is that most of us didn’t know this at the time, which raises concerns over knowing what we consent to when we log in. And since no one reasonably expects anyone to read the terms of service, I don’t buy into the argument that we opted into this level of surveillance and data commodification. There are certain rights we shouldn’t be allowed to give away like that.
The second problem is that the forces of capitalism aren’t actually at work in the social media business model. The basic principle of capitalism relies on free market competition, which drives quality and usefulness of sellable goods and services up while it pushes overly inflated prices down. In this model, companies and individuals make money because they’re creating something of value and cultivating a loyal, satisfied customer base.
Of course, this hasn’t kept companies from taking advantage of its workers, selling harmful goods, and taking over its respective industry. This is why a robust, healthy capitalist economy requires some regulations (gasp!) to keep the markets free and the competition above board. This ensures great products, good customer service, and more ethical companies…. And better cups of coffee at a variety of locations, which is something I wholeheartedly support.
As we know, social media conglomerates (Facebook also owns Instagram, Google owns YouTube, etc.) are monopolistic, so there goes any meaningful competition. And for the “go build your own” enthusiasts, I have one word for you— Parler. When the competition owns the servers, you’re screwed.
The third problem is that just because we can do something doesn’t make it ethical. It’s fine if a company enlists a marketing specialist to design a campaign that sells me on the merits of a product. Even using celebrities and creating the picture of an idyllic life if I buy the right ketchup or dog food is relatively benign.
It’s unacceptable for social media platforms to sell our profiles and data points to third parties so those third parties can manipulate our subconscious and turn us into consumer drones. Good grief, where are the Marxists screaming about commodification? Is it really left to me, a capitalist, to say that we shouldn’t sell digital renderings of people so others can use that data at our expense? I have no problem with profit as long as those who seek it don’t cross ethical boundaries.
Parting Thoughts
Living in digital world makes real world feel dull by comparison. It’s like eating an apple after consuming a cupcake. That apple is going to taste sour and unappealing. However, if someone stops eating added sugar for a week or two and takes a bite of that same apple, the complexity and sweetness of its flavors are more pronounced.
One cannot live on digital sugar alone.
Subscribe to get new posts in your inbox every Wednesday!