I see several risk factors in relying on information shared through social media to shape your worldview, your values, and your stance on particular issues.

The primary purpose of social media is not to inform or connect; it is to make money.

Posts, TikToks, Reels, tweets, likes, and shares are entirely secondary. The objective of social media is to generate revenue.

You must never forget this crucial fact.

When you add algorithms, machine learning, and various forms of artificial intelligence, they are (and will be) designed to… make money.

This is why I don’t trust my own social media feeds. What I see is not at all reflective of the world as it is… it is reflective of what Meta, Twitter, and Google think will yield them the most profit.

Now, the profit incentive has existed for thousands of years. Another factor that has been around for thousands of years is… human nature.

As humans, our attention is naturally drawn to threats (Beware of that lion! It might eat us for lunch) and negativity (because the negative may harm us).

This is why media consumption is consistently high during times of war. When people feel scared, they want more information. Bad news sells… and it sells well.

What’s different about media’s reliance (and perhaps exploitation) on this tendency today compared to 1,000 years ago is twofold:

1) Digital interconnectedness of the general population
2) Speed of digital processing and communication

In the 1900s, when bad news spread via word of mouth, it would take weeks and months for everyone in a community to hear about something. Today, a single video can “go viral” in hours.

In the 1900s, when there was a controversial issue emerging in the news, you would talk to your friends, neighbors, and community members about it. There would be conversations, discussions, and genuine debates over these important issues of the day.

Today, you get very little discussion. Much of social media nowadays consists of pointing out how someone else is an idiot… (and that person countering that no, you’re the idiot).

It’s not a great trend.

What is increasingly missing these days are:

* discussions to facilitate mutual understanding;
* appreciation of subtlety and nuance.

Social media makes more money when there are extreme points of view that engage people’s emotions and cause them to argue with each other online. It’s incredibly profitable.

Social media also rewards content creators who are provocative and controversial. Posts and “influencers” with more “likes” get preferential treatment in algorithms. If you want more attention, more money, or both, there’s a massive incentive to create content that incites (rather than creating content that provides insights).

Not all social media is bad. I think social media can be a useful way to connect with people who share similar interests. It can be great for helping one another around shared hobbies, challenges, and life problems.

Social media can be used to serve your goals and values if you utilize it thoughtfully. However, if you’re not careful, your use of social media can be shaped to serve the goals of social media companies.

Social media can be a tool for you, or you can be a tool for social media companies. It’s a very fine line between the two.

What do you think about this issue? Comment below to let me know.

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