The documentary the Social Dilemma available on Netflix is a must-watch.
There is no better moment than now to watch this, especially now that we are currently in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you’re thinking of deleting any social media accounts, then this documentary can result in that final push.
The documentary explains how social media platforms know us better than we think…
According to Tristan Harris who stars in the Social Dilemma, tech companies have 3 goals:
- Engagement
- Growth
- Advertisement
Social media wants to monetize your eyeballs. They are competing for your time and data.
This means they try everything in their power to make you stay online as much as possible.
They are throwing friends, potential “friends”, happenings, and posts at you so you stay engaged.
The more you engage with the platform, the more data they collect about you.
The second objective is growth.
They want you to promote the platform to other people, to invite others to join.
More people = more “products” of Facebook = more data = better predictions = more interest from advertisers.
Companies want people to expand their networks so there is more reason to keep using their services.
The more friends are using the platform, the harder it becomes for you to disconnect as well…
The third objective is advertising.
Companies like Facebook are collecting data from people so they can sell it to advertisers.
The more data is collected, the better their predictions will be in terms of your actions online.
As a result, social media knows you often better than your own spouse.
This is not a coincidence.
They are tracking all your actions online.
All that data is super valuable and companies pay big bucks to advertise carefully to specific groups.
That’s how those tech companies make their money!
So be aware of the way you use social media.
That moment when you leave your “trance” after a one-hour social media session while you planned to use it for 5 minutes only is not a coincidence.
You’re being programmed while being totally oblivious to it.