If you look around, it feels like the world is going crazy. You have to ask yourself, like, “Is this normal? Or have we all fallen under some kind of spell.”
In the era of the digital age, We are always caught up in infinite scrolling and push notifications.
It’s social media after all. How the teens and pre-teens are fully consumed by the need to skim through people’s stories and posts. The urge feels so real and relatable. (we have all been there, too).
On a side note, Tell me when was the last time you spent your whole day without your screen?
I can’t remember mine for the last five years (since I got my first phone).
Can you find someone of your age around you, who isn’t found on any social media and living life offline?
Social media can be addictive and creepy isn’t a revelation to anyone who uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the like.
In a nutshell, I have always been aware of the adverse effect of the online world but in reality, the danger is more palpable.
Snapchat,Twitter,Instagram,Youtube,TikTok,Google,Pinterest,Reddit,LinkedIn. These companies are here to keep us engaged on the screen like a zombie to watch more ads and hence they earn more money. These platforms are constantly baiting us for our undivided attention and spending more time online, with just profit as a single motive.
Ever wondered why is google free?
Remember, If you are not paying for the product, then you are the product. It is the gradual, slight, imperceptible change in your own behavior and perception that is the product.
Everything that scrolls in front of our eyes is filtered and tailor-made to our preferences and usage patterns. The algorithms of these companies are opinion embedded in codes. They sell certainty with a lot and lots of user’s data collected.
Everything that is online is being tracked, is being watched, and is being measured. But WE ARE COMPLETELY CLUELESS.
How do you even wake up from the matrix when you don’t even know the matrix yet.
There are only two industries that call its customer “users”- Illegal drugs and software companies.
I feel social media doesn’t address the “human angle” enough. And the amount of manipulation. and privacy concerns are appealing and alarming.
Lets us be the advocate for our undivided attention -
- We need to start voicing up to reform social media so they don’t destroy the world. We need to start having conversations openly to -regulate digital privacy & design the products humanely.
- Uninstall tons of Apps.
- Turn off the Notifications.
- Get over the initial impulse to check, scroll, and post.
- Never ever click Youtube’s recommended videos.
- Don’t use Google instead use Qwants.
- Use Chrome extensions to remove recommendations.
- Before you share, do that extra google to fact-check.
- Don't let your kids really have any screen time(No social media till the age of 16, devices out of the bedroom, time budget)
Let’s have the much-needed conversation about fixing it. And look at the world through our naked eyes again and not the make-believe, filtered world on our phone screens.
