Alec over at Technology Connections recently posted a video that I suspect might just put words to the issues many are facing today. I have written before about the energy barrier needed to get change to happen and how, doom-scrolling and short-form contents are the opposite of mindfully approaching content on the internet.
I have seen significant improvements now that I actively stop this - taking time to seek out long form articles, essays and news sites that I trust and can learn from. When I do let the algorithm take command - I do so knowing that is what I’m doing, eyes open and mindfully engaged.
Alec’s video puts words to this feeling of unease I have had for quite some time. This idea that people have lost the ability to find what is important to them on the internet and outsource that work to a third party algorithm. This was put in a beautifully succinct way -
Social media algorithms don’t nurture human connection - they exploit it.
This is of course true, as has been said ad nauseam, if the service is free, you are the product.
We should not, and in the current context, must not, let large companies dictate what is the information we see. Look at the misinformation, after all -
[…] We’re so used to this reality [of not having to think about what we consume] now that I’m not sure many of us care to get off this train.
This is true of news feeds but also of other services offered that we must become more aware of. Look at Grok’s latest prompt issue where it has been clearly told to reject information that is unfavourable to its owner.
We are lucky this is so blatant however, I’m certain, we will see this happen in a thousand little ways with a thousand products. We must be vigilant, and we must vote with our wallets and feet.
Alec ends by stating that it is possible that Silicon Valley is building tools now to justify their valuations.
So I think it’s pretty clear that that reality is why Silicon Valley is doing the stuff it’s doing these days. It has to justify itself as a center of innovation in a world where it’s running out of runway. And the best answer it’s got is “euhhh computers which pretend to think.”
I think this is a key concept that links well into any technology hype cycle. It is our job to make sure we do not give too much for the services companies offer, both in terms of money but also “brain-width”.
I am a true believer that we need to move back to a more mindful and intentional internet - spend time seeking out voices you like, challenge you and provide value. Or, as wrapped up so elegantly by Alec -
Forgive me, but I want to think for myself. And I think you should, too.