Prathithi Nellaiappan Week #9: The Power of Social Media
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| Source: Netflix |
The
Social Dilemma is an educational documentary by Jeff Orlowski that revolves
around the excessive usage of technology in our lives. The film starts with a
quote from Sophocles, “Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse”
implying that though there are many positives to technology, there are
undeniable consequences.
Contrary to other documentaries, this one takes a
unique approach to conveying the problem by introducing five main characters and
creating a storyline for each. This powerful directional decision allows for the
audience to connect with each character and better understand the impact of
social media on our lives.
Orlowski touches on a variety of issues starting off
with “snapchat dysmorphia” and early exposure to social media. Funnily enough,
the founders of these companies ban their children from using them. This is
because the apps are inherently designed to control and take over our lives.
Engineers study human psychology thoroughly to trick the human brain into using
certain apps for a longer duration. For example, TikTok became extremely popular
due to the addictive 60-minute or less format which makes it easy to lose track
of time on the app.
Apps like Instagram can also easily collect unprecedented
access to personal data which allows them to understand each person’s mood,
relationship status, sleep schedule, etc. This data is then sold to other
companies and is used for targeted ads. Prediction algorithms also use this data
with limited human supervision to serve the user with likable content. These
apps know us better than we know ourselves.
The youngest character in the film
is a middle schooler who is clearly struggling with her self-worth and identity.
As she uses filters to “fix” her issues, it becomes clear to the audience that
social media apps prey on young teens’ insecurities and damage their overall
happiness. Humans innately yearn for social approval so negative comments often
cause mental health issues for already vulnerable teens. The new generation,
called Gen Alpha, is already known as “iPad kids” and for the first time, we are
seeing the impact of early exposure to social media.
Furthermore, social media
can be an instigator during times of political conflict and can spread
propaganda and misinformation to people. In fact, Kyrie Irving, a famous
basketball player, conceded in 2018 that he once believed the earth was flat due
to a powerful YouTube rabbit hole.
In order for the next generation to have a
better future, we must break free from the control of social media and put
people over profits.
Prathithi,
ReplyDeleteI immediately related to the experience you described in the beginning of your blog with the endless “doom-scrolling” into unreasonable hours of the night and more so the consequences you described facing afterwards. The morning regret that follows is almost laughable, as at night, sacrificing only a little more sleep seems inconsequential while surfing Instagram, and in the morning, having sacrificed even a little more time on Instagram seems inconsequential in order to have gotten more sleep. The worst part is that somehow I seem to repeat this pattern and never learn—however, I appreciate your insight and analysis as to why social media can be so powerful. I enjoyed how straightforward your reasoning was listed, as I could readily understand through the separation of paragraphs that the reasons behind the power of social media included knowledge of “human psychology to trick the brain,” the “access to personal data,” and a “yearn for social approval.” Furthermore, it was initially shocking but then understandable why “the founders of these companies [would] ban their children from using” social media. The new generation of 10 year old “Sephora kids” who are buying skincare products with retinol and other anti-aging products simply because of what they see on social media certainly proves how it can take over a life, similar to how you mentioned “iPad kids” and being able to see the consequences of “early exposure to social media.” Overall, I really enjoyed how enlightening your blog was. Thank you!
Hi Prathithi! I do not think that I have related to anything more than the situation you described in your introduction. Earlier this month, I set a time limit for myself on Instagram in hopes of curbing the amount of time I spent on social media, but all I find myself doing everyday is bypassing the limit. I used to also have Tik Tok but I ended up deciding to delete the app from my phone entirely because of how much time I was wasting. I have yet to redownload it, so I am honestly a little proud of myself for that. I think that because so much of our communication regarding academics and extracurricular activities take place on popular social media platforms like Instagram, it is really hard to completely combat a social media addiction of sorts. It is definitely right to say that social media companies take advantage of this fact. Apps like Instagram and Tik Tok cater specifically to people who are 14-28 years old and promote this idea of living an "aesthetic" life. Most of our lives are nothing but aesthetic, so many people are compelled to believe that they must find certain specific hobbies or must appear some way or the other to stay relevant on these apps. This is really similar to what you discussed about the young teen relying on filters to hiding her insecurities. You mentioning "iPad kids" immediately made me think of "Sephora kids" like Mansi. I have seen so many videos about preteens at Sephora storming makeup isles for products simply way too harsh for their skin. While social media apps might be aiming to target a specific age range, they always end up reaching a demographic they never intended to. Many beauty influencers reach generations much younger than those they aimed to "influence." This is the case of the torrent of Sephora kids that we have been cursed to deal with throughout the country. Thank you for such a thorough blog!
ReplyDeleteI liked how you began with a relatable moment for a lot of high school students: it’s past midnight and you’re scrolling through TikTok. I also appreciated how you structured your blog into several brief paragraphs, which made it much easier to read through. I remember watching The Social Dilemma a few years ago on Netflix and being horrified by the amount of data that various social media platforms collected about their users. It is certainly true that, as you mentioned, they know more about us than we know about ourselves and extremely odd, though not surprising, that the CEOs of social media platforms do not let their kids use them. These platforms truly have the power to control our lives, and therefore, it is definitely necessary for us to set daily limits in order to regulate our time on social media. It is not only that social media takes time away from productivity, such as completing homework, but as you mentioned, it can spread misinformation. It is truly odd to think that Kyrie Irving was influenced that the Earth was flat in 2018 just from a video he watched on YouTube. Your blog has reinforced the dangers of social media to me and I will certainly make an effort to reduce my time on it from now on.
ReplyDeleteI think on a personal level, I can relate to this idea of the power of social media. Not only does it impact my sleep schedule (cough cough I totally don't say "one more reel" and then keep scrolling until 2 am), but it also deeply affects how everyone perceives as "normal." At American High, I've seen friend groups torn apart and people deeply wounded by what people have said online or said in anonymity behind a screen and behind someone's back. It's horrifying to see what social media is used for on a day to day basis, and although it might be as harmless as affecting your sleep schedule like in my case, it may also lead to long lasting mental health issues that require years of therapy to solve.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, the problem with social media companies collecting your data and selling it is that the companies that use this data often take advantage of people who are going through a tough time in life. People who have body dysmorphia will have advertisements about losing weight (which doesn't help) and people who are just having a rough time recently are more likely to listen to online ads due to their emotional vulnerability. The fact is that the intentional act of selling our data is something that is deeply unethical on many levels, and social media companies abuse this power too often and too much.
Overall, I think social media has the power to do great things in this world. It can help raise money and awareness for something that is lifechanging. But social media can also harm just as many people as it helps. Hopefully companies and people including myself will start to use social media and the internet more responsibly.
Hi Prathithi, I really like how began your blog with an anecdote about how you yourself are victim to unnecessarily scrolling on social media for hours on end and letting it affect your sleep schedule, because I can very closely relate to this. The main reason my sleep schedule even today is very unhealthy is due to the fact that I spend a great amount of time mindlessly scrolling on social media. Your numerous examples of why social media can be problematic, including how "apps like Instagram can easily collect unprecedented access to personal data" further elaborates on the toxicity of most social media environments. Overall, your blog was very relatable and effectively expanded on the issue of the "Power of Social Media."
ReplyDelete