The Social Dilemma

     I had put off watching The Social Dilemma when it came out, because I knew it would be depressing. We had to watch it as an assignment in class, so I wasn't able to put off these harsh truths any longer. I'm really glad I watched it, because it has allowed me to be more mindful of my social media use. A big focus of the film was how social media companies such as Facebook use us as the product, selling our attention to companies for advertising time. It's hard to ignore this truth as I scroll through targeted ads, but I don't think I fully understood the magnitude of this, and how insidious it truly is. 

    Did you know that these companies use AI that they don't even fully understand to measure exactly how long you engage with certain ads, and to keep you engaged as long as possible? I think I always knew this, but realizing that even these companies had little idea how this AI worked made me think of a dystopian sci-fi where AI takes over. I think it's time we start advocating for more privacy of our data. The Social Dilemma raised a good point, we regulate other industries for our safety, and our time and attention is valuable. 

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