We used it to reconnect with high school friends, watch from afar as young relatives grew up, follow our favorite sports teams, and see what’s new in arts and entertainment.
Whether Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or another platform, what began as a fundamentally good thing has revealed more dangerous downsides over the last decade than any of us would “like”—pun intended.
These various problems, and how they came to be, are carefully outlined in The Social Dilemma, a 94-minute documentary on Netflix, with the help of high-level executives and engineers who once worked for the now dominant tech companies.
An ominous warning
As the documentary begins, a quote from Sophocles, an ancient Greek tragedian, aptly sets the stage: “Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse.”
If you haven’t seen The Social Dilemma, you should, whether you use social media or not. For it impacts all of us as friends, parents, colleagues, brands, consumers and, yes, voters.
Fair warning: You may want to delete your Facebook account after viewing the documentary. It delivers an eye-opening, detailed report on how social media giants have deliberately made their platforms addictive and manipulative in the name of higher engagement, aggressive growth and the almighty advertising dollar.
What’s the harm in that, you ask? We live in America, the land of free-market capitalism, after all. As one contributor to the documentary stated of the platforms, “If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.”
However, too many of us don’t even realize it.
Widespread adverse side effects
The fallout has impacted all of us—young and old, Black and white, left and right. We live in a world driven by data, and social media not only allows companies to collect it; it enables them to know more about us than ever before and predict what we will do. And many times they are funneling information to you that they know you WANT to hear, regardless of whether it’s fake news or fact.
Created to connect us and enhance our lives, social media has led to an unhealthy addiction to our phones, as well as feelings of isolation and a lack of real social interaction—both of which existed even before the pandemic. Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are far more prevalent amongst impressionable teens, who have grown up longing for likes and applying ridiculous filters to their photos. Opportunistic politicians, as well as adversarial countries like Russia, have used social media to shift opinions and alter elections. Disinformation about important topics such as COVID-19 has literally cost lives.
While the documentary suggests it is primarily the tech companies who need to address these issues and create a more humane solution, companies will continue to use social media in the meantime to help turn a profit. And they should. But they should do it more responsibly.
Impact on advertisers
If ever a time for truth in advertising, this is it.
It doesn’t matter the industry or size of your company—if you want to become or remain a respected, trusted brand, it’s relatively simple: It starts with defining who you are and what you believe in. Is what’s important to you what’s also important to your customers?
Advertising and marketing campaigns will always be around—it’s how brands most effectively communicate what they have to offer, whether products or services. But ask yourself, are people more important than profits? By committing to messaging that is fact-based and transparent, your company and your clients will benefit.
Striving for a better online experience
As for everyday users of social media, we must take a stand too.
There are several ways highlighted at the end of The Social Dilemma to ensure your experience online is more positive. These include:
- Turning off or reducing notifications-–which many times are fake news
- Fact-checking content before you share, like or comment
- Deleting apps you don’t use or don’t need
- For those with children, carefully considering the age they can use social media and limiting how often they use it
We’ve been through a lot in the last year. Aren’t we all ready to get back to living our lives in a positive, impactful and meaningful way?
Whether it’s companies like Facebook and Google, brands that advertise, or everyday consumers, we all have choices and can make changes. Here’s to leading by example and getting back to acting in a way that makes the world a better place.
