How Does Social Media Manipulate You?
The Problem With the Attention Economy
The attention economy would work a lot better if Kim Kardashian's butt isn't constantly competing with the kids in the pool who I'm meant to be babysitting for my attention. You may think that social media outlets shouldn't be blamed for my own lack of self control. But none of us really have that much control over how we direct our attention and these companies will deliberately prey on this very human weakness to make billions on our inability to resist garish posts like 'What would your favorite celebrities look like if they put on 30 pounds?'
Yup just like me - a page full of social media apps and not a single notification
Preying on Your Insecurity
If you're anything like me, then you're probably checking your phone every 20 seconds just to make sure your new Facebook profile picture is still being ignored. Seeing that it is, you're frantically spamming Likes to hundreds of other posts from people who you only interactive with once a year when the darn thing tells you its their birthday, desperately hoping one of them will reciprocate. All the while you can faintly make out in the background someone yelling for you to put the phone away and to keep your eyes on the road while driving but you disregard them. For as far as you're concerned, the number of likes on your post over the next few hour will dictate your entire sense of self worth.
If someone like her is feeling insecure, then does anyone other than Megan Fox and George Clooney have a reason to live?
Social media companies will clutter up your news feed with the prettiest people going to the fanciest restaurants, encouraging us all to compete in a game where everyone's a loser except their shareholders. I spent weeks learning how to use Photoshop just so I could post pictures of myself working out at the gym. They know exactly how to exploit the insecure little teenager in every one of us - by which I mean our need for social validation, rather than implying that we're all having intercourse with a minor. Desperate for some attention, we'd rush for our phones to open up that new push notification only to be informed that a few friends were at a restaurant nearby and didn't think to invite us along.
Provoking Outrage
There are many things in life we know we don't want and we're also pretty good at not actively seeking them out. For example, I find it relatively easy to resist the temptation to receive a back rub from my grandma. Unfortunately, clips of racist tirades or cruelty to animals are often as unappealing as they are engaging and we often find ourselves sucked into a cesspool of hate and becoming troll food. We can't help it. We're evolved to react to provocation, especially if it's deliberate. That's why the advice 'just ignore him' never worked when Brady Baxter hanged you from your locker by your underpants in middle school. (And what a coincidence we went to the same school.) I suppose what I'm trying to say is I wish social media was more like getting a back rub from my grandma.
They see me trollin', they hatin'...
There now exists an entire industry with the sole purpose of eliciting a reaction out of people. Unfortunately it's easier to elicit negative reactions than positive ones - just ask any girl I've ever talked to at a singles club. But traditional social media companies value bad attention just as much as good, as long as the advertisement money keeps pouring in. Imagine what going to work would be like if vomiting into the water cooler and photocopying your ass crack was just as valued as closing big deals with important clients.
Summary
The incentives structure around traditional social media companies prevent them from distinguishing between different types of attentions. I wonder how successful they'd be if their ad campaigns read 'we pour millions into research to tailor the exact type of news feed that will piss you off the most!' Like your local heroin supplier they don't quite want you dead, because that's bad for business. But as long as you keep coming back for more, they're more than happy to sell your anger and self loathing to the highest bidder. And in return, they'll make sure you'll never forget a second cousin's roommate's brother-in-law's birthday ever again!
If you enjoyed this article please Upvote, Resteem, especially if you think non Steemit related posts are good for the platform, and Follow me @Trafalgar
haha awesome read! so true in so many ways
haha thanks for checking out one of my old posts
No Problem, I just thought you are a successful blogger on here, and I went back to a post where I noticed you seem to have an uptick in "Dollars" value. I felt maybe I could gain some insight in to how you are earning so much, and try to be as good so I can at least break the $1.00 mark. lol.
I'll be writing a comedy writing guide in a week or 2
It might be helpful, should be a little different to the other guides out there at least
I have a smart phone, and I have a Facebook account and a Twitter account.
But I never check any social media on my phone. And I don't like when people do that when in company.
So, I believe I am not much a victim of the "Attention Economy", and I doubt that the Facebook shareholders ever made more that 1 cent from my account.
Long time ago I decided to delete the fb app. I am much happier now that ALL my attention is fully dedicated to my 60 followers in Steem :-) happy Days!
Good for you. I'm a fb deleter myself.. 90 days and have never looked back. :)
haha good on you! I think the average person spends like an hour or 2 on facebook a day which is pretty insane
if you add the others and youtube it's closer to 3 hours...
I never could understand the idea behind FB.
I get it that it helps to keep in touch with friends, but people share everything from photos, fights, why would someone want to wash their dirty laundry in public? People share their most intimate secrets with the world - absolutely non-sense.
I only use FB to promote my business.
I try to follow same principle too. When I am in the company of someone, I avoid checking on my phone at all except otherwise.
You notice people get to meet instead of spending the quality time together, they will spend it with their phones - to talk to someone who isn't present. The physical interaction will soon be priceless!
This is the crazy thing I have ever read. Social media has no control over me at all. I am not compelled or manipulated into making this comment right now. I really really want to. It doesn't matter that my kitchen is currently on fire. Getting my thoughts out here immediately is essential. I can build a new kitchen.
It is an interesting universe when getting a back rub from grandma is the better option. But you are absolutely right. Although not really comfortable, its not filled with venom and malice either (for most people... as I have said before my grandma was a unique case).
hahahaha
There's probably an app you can get which will give you a notification when your kitchen is on fire so you can attend to it :)
I would then need a second app to allow me to ignore it so I could attend to the truly important things in life. Like memes!!!!
Wow, quite an eye opener it was, these days the physical life has come to zero and people think that what they show to others is what their life is, not what they actually living is. These days people don't go outside at cafeterias or pubs to enjoys and upload their status and pics, but they have to upload their pics that's why they have to go. And all these things are ruining habits of a lot of people. If anybody hasn't updated a cool pic at some cool place so all of the social friends starts thinking he is not enjoying life or he is very busy in his work and no time to enjoy. And in the middle of this, all the social media apps and companies are making billions of dollars Just to let people show off.
ya I completely agree, people don't even bother looking up from their phones anymore
that's why I think Steem is a breath of fresh air and can hopefully shake things up a bit for the better
Even I support steemit over other social networks. What good do social networks do to us anyway other than spoiling us. Now On steemit, Imagine you are drinking a 10$ coffee and put a selfie with a little bit of writing, and it can get you 50-60$ if you have a good following. You get paid to socialise. I AM LOVING IT
ya exactly, plus its a disincentive to elicit bad attention as people are hardly going to vote you up if you anger them
Another plus point and instead, people focus their energy on productive things in order to get more votes, so at the end there will be a very big positive effect on people through this.
It's really a shame, isn't it. People are so absorbed with self-entertainment, just with that little electronic wonder. I check FB about once a month. I've already told those who know me if you have something important to tell me, call or text. I view FB kind of like television. It's not necessary. We vote with our dollars (what we buy), the remote (what we watch), and time (what we pay attention to). Spend time with your friends and family, as they are the only things you can take with you when you leave...
Well done. It is a sad reality when we think of how much these "news" feed take away from our daily lives. It get worse when we examine the types of things we are devoting more and more of our time to, as you have done in this post. Hopefully more backrubs from grandma will help us to realize what is most important in our lives.
haha yay another vote for grandma backrubs :)
I was going to type grandma rubs but that brings up a different image...I wouldn't google it
That had me literally laughing out loud. Thanks!
Fortunately I never used facebook. But the numerous messengers aren't even better. Since I'm posting on steemit, I feel embedded into a great family of very good and cooperative authors. But I have to confess - I'm a little bit addicted to steemit.
Yeah for the first time we're getting an economy based on positive attention
I don't think pure provocation will get far on here which is nice
My friend great work! :)
thank you for sharing
thank you for having a look mars :)
Congratulations on becoming a whale, a couple of weeks ago. Your entry into Steemit was excellent timing :-)
haha thank you
I think technically I'm just half a whale :p
You have 1 billion Vests. That's the threshold for being a whale :-)
ah i dont even know what vests are other than sleeveless shirts/blazers
This really is the elephant in the room in modern society. I taught high school kids for many years and a large percentage of class time was spent trying to stop students using their phones. At first I blamed the school system, but after going to my first parents´evening and seeing that the parents also had their faces stuck in the phones the whole time, I realised that we are doomed!
I thought our teachers had a hard time back in the 90s
Couldn't begin to imagine how difficult it must be these days
Hopefully companies can become a little more ethically aware about the impact they have on their users
These days its not so much about teaching, but more about crowd control, entertainment and teaching to the exam...:)
I have read what you wrote carefully, although I had to translate everything first, because the English language is not so common to me. But I've understood what you mean and I see it exactly. A community should live by "living together" and not just by the specifications of a few "dazzling" personalities. The "we" should shape us and not the search for what others have.
Yup exactly
thanks for putting the effort into reading it even when it's not your native language =)
I try and learn every day. I would like to understand what is written in other languages.