Podcast Summary
From genuine connections to chaotic interactions: The shift from maintaining relationships on social media to algorithmic curation of content has led to unhealthy and inauthentic interactions, as seen in Elon Musk's chaotic takeover of Twitter. We might need to reconsider our relationship with these platforms and strive for more meaningful social connections.
The evolution of social media from social networking to its current state has led to a shift in focus from genuine connection to chaos and strained relationships. Professor Ian Bogost, in his piece "The Age of Social Media is Ending," explores this transformation, drawing particular attention to the recent takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk and the ensuing chaos. Bogost argues that social networks, like Friendster and Facebook, were initially used to maintain existing relationships, whether personal or professional. However, platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok have become more about the algorithmic curation of content, often leading to unhealthy and inauthentic interactions. Musk's chaotic takeover of Twitter, while disturbing, might serve as a catalyst for reevaluating our relationship with these platforms and considering a return to more meaningful social connections.
The shift from social networks to social media: Social networks and social media serve different purposes: social networks build relationships with smaller groups, while social media broadcasts content to large audiences. This shift brought about new challenges, including the spread of misinformation and negative interactions.
Social networks and social media serve different purposes. Social networks, like those found on platforms such as Reddit, were established to build and maintain relationships with a smaller group of people. They operate more passively, allowing users to lean on them for contacts, tips, and fostering relationships. Social media, on the other hand, is about broadcasting content to as many people as possible and engaging in large audiences. This shift from social networks to social media brought about a new era of engagement, data collection, and content production for platform owners. However, it also introduced new challenges, such as the spread of misinformation and the potential for negative interactions. Social networking as a concept is not new; it has existed in various forms throughout history. The difference is that computers and the internet have made it easier to maintain and translate these networks online. The transition from social networks to social media, around 2009, marked a significant change in how we use technology to connect with others. While social networking brought about a magical and profound feeling of connection, social media introduced new challenges that we are still navigating today.
The evolution of social media and the removal of friction in communication: The ease of use of social media has led to a glut of information and unrealistic expectations, highlighting the importance of maintaining friction in communication technologies for efficient and meaningful interactions.
The rise of social media as a primary means of communication and information transmission can be attributed to several key factors, including the scale of user populations on social networking platforms, the ability to both consume and author content, and the widespread adoption of smartphones. Prior to these developments, communication was more deliberate and high-quality due to the significant effort required. However, as communication technologies have evolved to remove friction, the ease of use has led to a glut of information and a belief that one has a global audience, potentially leading to unrealistic expectations and over-reliance on social media. The history of social media can be compared to the birth of the telegraph, which marked the beginning of instant communication and the removal of time and space barriers. However, it's important to recognize the need for friction in communication technologies to prevent excessive use and ensure efficient and meaningful interactions.
The Overload and Disconnection of Constant Digital Connection: The shift from social networking to social media has led to anxiety, feelings of importance or irrelevance, and a loss of meaningful connection, despite the promise of global connectivity.
While the internet and social media offer unprecedented global connectivity, this constant connection can lead to overload and disconnection. People are owed nothing in the digital realm, yet expect instant responses and access to information. The shift from social networking to social media has blurred the lines, with services like Twitter and Facebook transforming from tools for deepening connections to platforms for infinite scroll and consumption. This change has happened subtly, and we've been "boiled frogs," acclimating to the new norm without noticing. The result? Anxiety, feelings of importance or irrelevance, and a loss of meaningful connection. McLuhan's idea of a global village has overheated, leading to disconnection in the very thing that was meant to bring us closer.
From social networking to social media: The shift in power dynamics: The transition to social media brought benefits like democratization, but also unintended consequences such as privacy erosion, addiction to constant connection, and insidious behaviors like fetishizing friend counts and chasing likes.
The transition from social networking to social media, while offering benefits such as democratization and giving everyone a voice, also had unintended consequences. As users became broadcasters, the power dynamic shifted, leading to insidious behaviors like fetishizing friend counts and chasing likes. The immediate benefits overshadowed the long-term dangers, such as the erosion of privacy and the addictive nature of constant connection. McLuhan's idea that we can't fully understand the impact of technology in the moment holds true here. The pleasurable nature of social media makes it hard to recognize its negative effects, but it's important to acknowledge them and consider the cost of our constant connectivity.
The unchecked proliferation of speech and content on the internet: The ease of broadcasting content globally has led to a saturated market, blurring lines between harmless and harmful content, and contributing to a culture of narcissism and influencer culture, while also offering opportunities for self-employment and expression.
The unchecked proliferation of speech and content on the internet, fueled by a desire for everyone to have a voice and potential financial gain, has led to a saturation of information that may be unsustainable and detrimental to individuals and society as a whole. The ease of broadcasting content to a global audience has blurred the lines between harmless countercultures and harmful conspiracy theories, creating a culture of sublimated narcissism and influencer culture. While social media offers opportunities for self-employment and expression, it also adds to the burden of this social illness. The blogging era served as a precursor to social media, but the lack of attention to user-generated content was an open secret. Instead of being more honest about the realities of gaining an audience, the promise of a voice and potential financial gain fueled the mass production of content, leading to the current state of information overload.
The shift from blogging to social media and the prioritization of engagement and growth: Social media's focus on mega scale, driven by venture capital and the desire for rapid growth, led to the prioritization of engagement and endless growth, resulting in negative consequences such as privacy concerns, spread of misinformation, and incentivization of negative behavior.
The rise of social media marked a shift from the intimate, self-expressive world of blogging to a massively scaled, data-driven industry. This mega scale logic, driven by venture capital and the desire for rapid growth, led to the creation of simple machines that treat everyone the same, prioritizing engagement and endless growth. However, this business model, which incentivizes the worst of human behavior and has serious consequences, is difficult to change. In the early days, social media offered a corrective to the blogging world, allowing voices to be heard by a larger audience. But as companies like Facebook scaled up, they prioritized engagement and reach above all else, creating a homogenized, factory-style approach to idea dissemination. This logic of mega scale, which drove the development of social media, in turn created a desire among users to also achieve mega scale in their own corners of the internet. The consequences of this business model, which include privacy concerns, the spread of misinformation, and the incentivization of negative behavior, are only now beginning to be addressed.
The Blurring Lines of Strong and Weak Ties in the Digital Age: In the digital age, the distinction between strong and weak ties is becoming less clear, leading to potential influence from strangers or online mobs. We gain online presence and potential fame but lose privacy, disconnection, and the difficulty of making a living.
As our social connections move more online, the distinction between strong and weak ties is becoming blurred, making us more susceptible to the influence of strangers or online mobs. This shift in social relationships also brings a torsion between the idea of what we gain (online presence and potential fame) and what we lose (privacy, disconnection, and the difficulty of making a living). Moreover, everyone and every idea appears the same online, and we're still grappling with this new reality as social creatures. The historical context of modernism offers some insight, as it taught us to find pleasure in casual encounters during urbanization, but we must learn to navigate this new digital terrain.
Social media's impact on society and the need for change: Social media's constant use leads to alienation, but societal changes like regulations and alternative social networking are needed to reduce reliance, as companies have no incentive to make these changes.
Our constant connection to social media has led to a new form of alienation, and quitting it collectively might require changes in the social fabric similar to what happened with smoking. Smoking was proven harmful for decades before societal change, and the same applies to social media. We can't just choose to quit because of the social pressure to use these tools for professional and personal interactions. A solution could involve regulating the use of these tools in certain contexts, like during urgent discourse, and encouraging the development of alternative, healthier forms of social networking. However, this change won't come easily, as the companies providing these services have no incentive to make these changes, and users don't pay for the services but instead generate data for advertisers. The conversation suggested that a social practice of reducing our reliance on social media could be a starting point, similar to the "please don't smoke here" approach.
Treating social media as public utilities or town squares might not be the answer: Focusing on downsizing social media platforms and addressing the root cause of mega scale could be more effective solutions
The idea of treating social media platforms like public utilities or town squares may not be the solution to the issues of social ostracization and mega scale. While the sentiment behind these suggestions is to make these platforms better for all, the reality is that many of these companies are already struggling financially and breaking them up or downsizing them might not be feasible or effective solutions. The problem lies in the mega scale of these platforms, which makes meaningful engagement and effective control challenging. The idea of a public square or town square being the entire world is unrealistic, as we're not wired to engage meaningfully with such vast amounts of content. Instead, focusing on downsizing these platforms and addressing the root cause of mega scale might be a more promising approach.
Reflecting on our relationship with social media: Consider taking a pause from social media to reflect on its impact on our thoughts and actions
The constant barrage of information and conflict on social media can hinder our ability to think deeply and engage in meaningful thought. The speaker, Ian Bogost, suggests that we might benefit from taking a pause and reassessing our relationship with social media, even if just for a moment. This idea is significant because it's a rare moment when so many people are reflecting on the impact of social media at once. While it's easy to get caught up in the chaos of social media, particularly during times of conflict, taking a step back could lead to important changes. As users of social media, it's essential that we consider what this transition means for us and how it has shaped our thoughts and actions. We encourage you to share your thoughts on this topic and continue the conversation. You can find Ian's writing on social media and tech in The Atlantic. Don't forget to subscribe and listen to new episodes on Mondays and Thursdays.
