The [real] social dilemma
“❝ How different would people act if they couldn’t show off on social media? Would they still do it? ❞”
Some of us are getting used to pandemic. Remote working is the default for those who can. Huge companies have completely locked their offices allowing forcing everyone to work from home. People have spent more time at home, and more time in front of screens, during the lockdowns. Practising social distancing IRL, brought most people closer to their social media persona.
I remember the following quote from Mr. Robot (which I'd suggest you watch if you haven’t so far).
“Oh, I don't know. Is it that we collectively thought Steve Jobs was a great man, even when we knew he made billions off the backs of children? Or maybe it's that it feels like all our heroes are counterfeit?
The world itself's just one big hoax. Spamming each other with our running commentary of bulls**t, masquerading as insight, our social media faking as intimacy. Or is it that we voted for this? Not with our rigged elections, but with our things, our property, our money.
I'm not saying anything new. We all know why we do this, not because Hunger Games books makes us happy, but because we wanna be sedated. Because it's painful not to pretend, because we're cowards.”
We have been trained to behave like this. It’s a process slow enough for two generations to get used to it, and fast enough to be painless. At least some are waking up, and that’s a good thing.
Like Ice T and many others lately, I watched Netflix’s Social Dilemma documentary. I had many objections regarding its content and the mood they decided to go by. I saw people getting scared after watching it. Some closed their accounts. Is this the solution? It is definitely a solution, but people will always need (or want) some of the features these platforms offer. People need to connect. But many questions arise.
Should we all turn technophobic for our (privacy and safety) sake? Should we go back to the caves? Should we abandon our smartphones and wifi connections? Should we not be in social media? Should we? Why? It’s a matter of personal perspective, politics, philosophy and aesthetics for one to answer such questions, and I'm somehow in the middle.
Technology has many benefits and can help us make our world and society a better place. Like with everything in our lives, it’s not only the creator’s intention but also the use that defines them. As we are already doing with many things, that have been identified with safety issues (drinking, driving, smoking, owning guns, etc.), we should also apply regulations on the use of the technology, especially regarding its use from kids.
The real dilemma is more about whether we can be better humans, care about each other and —above all— nature, finally seeing ourselves as part of it and not as a ruler.
Keep connections meaningful. Be a better human.