The Dilemma
The problem beneath all other problems
Technology’s promise to keep us connected has given rise to a host of unintended consequences that are catching up with us. If we can’t address our broken information ecosystem, we’ll never be able to address the challenges that plague humanity.
A 5,000 person study found that higher social media use correlated with self-reported declines in mental and physical health and life satisfaction.
American Journal of Epidemiology, 2017
Persuasive design techniques like push notifications and infinite scroll have created a feedback loop that keeps us hooked.
DILEMMA BONUS CLIPS
The # of countries with political disinformation campaigns on social media doubled in the past two years.
the new York Times
2019
Surveillance-based advertising and amplification gives bad actors the tools to sow unrest and fuel political divisions.
64% of the people who joined extremist groups on Facebook did so because the algorithms steered them there.
Internal Facebook report
2018
Algorithms promote content that sparks outrage, hate, and amplifies biases within the data that we feed them.
BONUS INTERVIEWS
Questioning your beliefs
Aza Raskin – Center for Humane Technology, Co-Founder
Renée DiResta – Stanford Internet Observatory, Research Manager
The Twitter-fication of our world
Maryanne Wolf – Director, UCLA Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, & Social Justice
Choosing technology mindfully
Justin Rosenstein – Former Engineer, Facebook & Co-Founder, Asana
Social media is not free
Justin Rosenstein – Former Engineer, Facebook & Co-Founder, Asana
Information as food
Dr. Adam Gazalley – Univ. of California, Prof. of Neurology, Psychology & Psychiatry
Your brain on social media
Dr. Anna Lembke – Stanford University, School of Medicine
Looking for more?
READING LIST
Further reading on our shared social dilemma: