The Social Dilemma!

After watching the first half of The Social Dilemma on Netflix during class, I would describe it as eye-opening so far. I never realized how big of a problem Americans have with social media consumption and how it affects our daily lives. The first part of The Social Dilemma talks about the dangers of social media and how it affects people and society. It features interviews with former workers from big tech companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter. These people explain how social media is designed to keep us hooked by using things like notifications, likes, and personalized content that make us want to keep scrolling. I’ve always known that social media can be addictive, but the way they design these platforms to keep our attention without us even realizing it blew my mind.

One thing that really stood out to me in the first half of The Social Dilemma was when they discussed the concept of "persuasive technology" and how it’s used to manipulate our behavior without us even knowing. The documentary explained that these platforms are designed to create a constant stream of dopamine hits, similar to the way a slot machine works, which is what makes them so addictive. I never realized how much of our time is being controlled by these little features, and it made me think about how much time I’ve spent mindlessly scrolling through apps. It made me question how much control we really have over our own attention in the digital age.

Additionally, I found the way social media algorithms manipulate our emotions to be particularly interesting. I never fully understood how much our feelings are being used to keep us hooked. The documentary explains how these platforms trigger emotional reactions, like anger or excitement, to keep us engaged. This made me think about how often I engage with posts simply because they evoke a response, without realizing that it’s all part of the platform’s strategy to hold my attention. It was surprising to learn that the more time we spend on these apps, the more data they collect, which helps them refine their strategies to make us stay even longer.

After watching the first half of The Social Dilemma on Netflix, I was shocked by how much social media controls our attention. The documentary reveals how platforms like Facebook and Twitter are designed to keep us hooked on things like notifications and personalized content. I never realized how these features are built to trigger emotional reactions and keep us scrolling. It made me question how much control we really have over our time online, especially since the more we use these apps, the more data they collect to keep us engaged longer.