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

Boy, is that a dramatic intro. But I can’t truly hate, even for funzies, because after watching The Social Dilemma on Netflix, I’ve realized just how serious (and intense) the landscape of social media is.

The pessimist in me has a love/hate relationship with this documentary. This documentary’s goal is to manipulate you into caring about laws and regulations around social media, data collection, and advertising companies. Which begs the question that I ask myself way too often for it to be healthy: Is any manipulation good? How can we really assess if we’re being manipulated so well?

The truth is, the real danger isn’t the technology itself; it’s the profit-driven system quietly shaping our behavior behind the screen. Like my algorithm constantly showing me new shoes I don't need (but desperately want).

You know how your phone will pop up with an ad and you'll think, "Omg I was JUST talking to Sarah about this at brunch last Saturday!" Yes! Because your phone was legit listening to you.

I immediately went and removed certain data collectors from my phone and set a new, secret social media time-limit code. I added electrical tape to cover all of my device cameras. I deleted a whole bunch of apps. I turned off a whole bunch of notifications. I thought about getting a flip phone… if only. Unfortunately, I’m directionally challenged and need my GPS app. Then I realized that I also have free will and can build self-control, lol. So all I really need to do is commit to myself and my goals. Like seriously, girl, get it together.

The discussion around social media and paid marketing bases its argument on the worst of humanity using technology, but I think we also have to remember that the best of society is out there too. I want to highlight that before diving into such a dismal conversation. Social media and the internet can be good. We can learn. We can connect. Tech offers accessibility services we’d be worse off without.

But, like we all already know and turn a blind eye to so we can enjoy our scroll time, there’s a nefarious side to all of this too. It comes in the shape of targeted algorithms and a lack of media literacy being taught to kids and young adults. I know everyone is up in arms about capitalism, but what about surveillance capitalism?? I miss having privacy!

Now before you assume this is a capitalism rant… hear me out. Every system has cracks. And cracks get exploited. What’s happening here? It’s surveillance dressed up as convenience. It’s data mining sold to advertisers. Big ick. Because at the end of the day, YOU are the product (and this is coming from someone in marketing).

Shivers run down our spines at the realization.

The issue is that a very small number of people (cough cough men) at companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter got into a room with a whole bunch of old computers back in the 2000s and decided the communication and internet-connection tech reality for the rest of us. Nothing irks me more than when I have no choice in the matter of my day-to-day life.

Every single action we take is recorded. Every single picture we like, every page we stop at, how long we’ve looked at it, when we’re on, what we see. We’ve been sold out to advertisers. WE are their product (those “free” services like TikTok and YouTube are paid for by them).

Those recommended videos and the FYP are creating meticulously crafted and imperceptible changes in our behavior. That is the true goal. That is the benefit. But that begs the question... who benefits??

Oh boy. I sound like my mother on one of her conspiracy rants. Which, by the way, my mom’s a smart lady, and I hate to admit it, but as I’ve grown older I’ve realized, “Damn, she was right about that too.” Don’t tell her I said that. Can’t lose my street cred.

You may be thinking, “Yeah, whatever, I’m smart enough to know when I’m being sold to.” WRONG. Seriously, you’re probs wrong about that. Software developers use behavioral psychology to do what they do. They are hacking us.

I mean, they are exploiting our natural human vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities that are good and normal to have as a human being are being used against us. Even the ex-president of Pinterest was explaining how horrid it is.

Pinterest! Is nothing sacred?!?!

The best way to think of it, as the documentary states, is by looking at The Truman Show: “We accept the reality of the world with which we’re presented.” With "fake news" and extremely polarized sources pushing out content worldwide.

We news watchers and social media users aren’t being objective and constructive individuals, even when we may think we are because we are basing our opinions off of targeted information. Maybe other people aren’t as stupid as you think. Maybe they are just convinced of their opinions the way we are (ex. political polarization) because the media they consume creates a confirmation bias

For example, the data that’s been chosen for me by my algorithm is different from the data my dad is shown, and as a result we both think we’re right and the other is wrong. AND we have facts to back it up! There can be no reconciliation of truth when we are so sure of different truths.

Again, it begs the question, who benefits from this? And why are these algorithms being bestowed upon us.

At the end of the day, the real problem isn’t new tech and internet access. The real problem is the business model behind how they work and why they work that way.

We need empathize with people who think differently than us. We need to start caring about those who come after us. Oh wow, have I been smelling the flowers with this ’70s-esque, hippie love-each-other ending. But honestly, we need to start pushing and lobbying for regulations that companies and politicians can’t use against us.

The tech world is the current landscape from which the future will be built. It's just being built so fast, that regulations can't keep up to protect users... the true social dilemma we face. There are already groups fighting for these regulations, fighting for our minds, for our children’s online safety, for the outlawing of false information. Should we just let them and see what happens, or should we speak out too?

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I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence if I didn’t let you know who wrote and produced this documentary. Media literacy, people! It’s key! This was produced by Exposure Labs Production, a social-impact film studio based in Boulder, Colorado.

They are funded by three institutional funders: Far Star Action Fund, Perspective Fund, and the Park Foundation. Their individual funders are as follows: Barry Schuler; David & Linda Cornfield; Rick Reed; Melinda Ryan; Robina Riccitiello; Courtney Reum & Family.

Now, the Far Star Action Fund is led by Microsoft executives David & Linda Cornfield. Perspective Fund is a private foundation led by Jacob Taylor. The Park Foundation is an independent private foundation founded by Roy H. Park. It has a board of trustees and is funded by its own endowment.