Social networks are humanity’s greatest collective experiment and their influence is very profound. The problem is that we think that what we see on the networks is a reflection of what people say and think.
Yes, we think so.
Well it’s not true, in reality what you are experiencing is a false version of reality that has been created for you by algorithms created by AI, the most intelligent programs we have ever designed.
To appropriate our attention?
To provoke very specific emotional responses so that you spend more time on that platform.
How do they do it?
Algorithms learn, track every interaction we have on the networks, where we spend most of our time; even when we scroll they measure the seconds we stop there.
And what does the algorithm want to learn?
What are the most useful feelings, ideas and words for us to do what the platforms want us to do. No one in Silicon Valley has designed it as a grand psychological experiment, but it is; there are thousands of tests to find out what is effective and what is not.
Do algorithms encourage us to do?
They promote certain types of behavior on a large scale. The most powerful emotion to capture our attention and engage us is moral indignation, contempt for what transgresses my norm. It’s very easy to fall into mob mentality, and that’s when the most dangerous actions happen.
…And this does so much to the algorithm.
He doesn’t even consider it, that’s why on the networks everything is outrage, people insulting each other, opposing blogs, the algorithms feed it.
The more time you spend online, the more polarized you become?
Yes, hatred of the different increases, and the idea that our group must do what it can to defend itself from the bad group is easily imposed, and this can lead to violence, hatred and polarization extreme
Uncontrolled manipulation?
If you post something on social media that expresses moral outrage, the platform rewards you by showing it to as many people as the algorithm thinks it will provoke. Facebook not only promoted anti-vaccine extremists, it created and radicalized them, feeding their theses with lies.
Why do we like them so much?
The sense of social reward is one of the most powerful forces we experience, it is psychologically more powerful than any other incentive, and we want more of it.
How does the algorithm work in this case?
If you upload something sober the algorithm will penalize you. There is a lot of research that has shown that social reward changes who we are. Seeing yourself rewarded for being more confrontational, more confrontational, in the end you end up being.
What do they gain from me being stuck on the internet all day?
They sell your time, your commitment. They are the biggest companies on the planet, more than banks, oil companies, airlines.
What is the formula for something to go viral?
This is changing, but what does not change is the indignation, the conflicts of us against others. And nothing is more successful than disinformation, because the truth is very complex, fake news is simpler and grabs attention much better than reality.
How far can they take us to extreme situations?
The simplest algorithmic classification can alter the attitude of citizens to the point of deciding an election. In Burma, Facebook spread racist lies and hate speech towards the Rohingya on such a large scale that even the UN said it substantially contributed to the genocide.
For money?
Today we know that the Capitol uprising was created on social media that viralized conspiracy theories, radicalized many people and called for action.
A power that has more and more control and is uncontrollable?
The algorithms that power Facebook, YouTube and others are not only modifying our behavior and unleashing many of our worst impulses. Also, within the tech companies themselves there is no one who knows where they are taking us.
Uf.
Algorithms are very complicated (and increasingly so) self-taught systems. It is very difficult to know what conclusions it will draw and in which direction it will lead us.
What is the solution according to the experts?
Disable algorithms. One of Twitter’s founders and CEO from 2015 to 2021, Jack Dorsey, claimed that the share button was doing too much harm to humanity to keep it around.
