This article gets so close but it feels like it goes right past the actual point.
Profit motivated tech companies are weaponising psychology to dominate your time. There’s nothing stopping them from turning your reward system against yourself. Plus given this time is generally being spent on passive consumption, of course people are gonna end up dumber—brains need exercise just like the rest of your body.
Regulation is basically the only way to remedy this (beyond actually nationalising these organisations) and unfortunately it’s gonna have to be American regulation for the most part, which I’m not gonna hold my breath for under the next administration
I just don’t see any way to regulate this without violating the Constitution.
It’s a really tough thing.
Just like with hashish? Oops
That probably depends on which constitution you’re talking about ;)
But I wonder if “for-profit organization may not use recommendation algorithms” would be constitutional in e.g. EU countries.
You mean because of Freedom of Speech? I think it’s not that hard; your freedom ends where someone else’s freedom begins. Propaganda and advertising for example are designed to force you into believing something / thinking in ways that you wouldn’t, so you are effectively cut off from thinking and believing like you would have been doing without that pressure.
To add to your point, we already restrict or ban certain types of advertising.
An independent NGO or watchdog kind of regulatory body staffed by psychology and technology experts with the legislative teeth to issue cease notices with meaningful fines to back them up (take the GDPR penalties as inspiration) should a media platform implement a harmful user experience.
It would be important that the organisation is protected from lobbying interests and direct control from the elected politicians. Though obviously its existence would hinge on the corresponding legislation being persisted.
The result will be a couple of big fines and then everyone else will play ball
I do miss the days when I could fully read a news article or a book without flicking through to the next thing, or even watch a tv show or movie without feeling compelled to reach for my phone.
BS I can totally hold my attention longer th
I would say so. My concentration spans decimated, it’s either this or drinking. Or stress.
I mean, if the article is going to insult skibidi toilet right off the bat, baselessly I might add, it’s hard to focus on evaluating how our media consumption is actually changing our cognition, according to the article.
Remember one thing at least. One of us tried to end the healthcare monopoly and it was one of us who turned him in. Boycott McDonalds!
Also remember to eat the billionaires. Or at least cook them in oil or heated salt.
