You’re the Product

    The first time I ever saw The Social Dilemma on Netflix, I was expecting yet another documentary that bashed social media as the root of all evil in the world. What actually resonated with me, though, wasn’t necessarily that these sites are addictive or bad for our mental states — it was that if you’re not paying for it, then you’re the product. That actually put me in perspective.

    We all realize that social media is “free,” but the documentary made it very clear that it’s really not free in the least. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are businesses. They make money by selling ads. So, essentially, what they’re doing is selling our attention to advertisers. Every time we scroll, pause on a video, like a post or even just briefly hover over something, that data is collected and used to keep us on the app longer. The longer we’re on the app, the more ads we get to see and the more money they make.

The algorithm is smarter than you think

    One of the most disconcerting parts of the documentary was hearing former tech workers — people who helped build these systems — explain just how sophisticated the algorithms are. They’re not just trying to make an educated guess at what you like. They know what’s going to keep you watching. That’s why your feed feels so exactly tailored. It’s because it’s optimized for you based on everything you’ve ever clicked on, watched or searched.

    I was wondering, that sounds pretty great, right at first. I mean, who would not want their feed to be cooler? But I thought of how quickly you can be swept into a rabbit hole. You watch one health and fitness video and next thing you know, they are presenting extreme diet fads to you. Or you see one political update that you appreciate and next thing you know, your feed is filled with thoughts in agreement of what you feel. It’s not about making you see what you want to see — it’s about keeping you online even if that means showing you more extreme or emotional content.

It’s not just about ads — it’s about influence

    What’s scary is that this system isn’t just about making money. It really changes the way we think. If what we’re presented with on the internet is curated for us, it affects what we believe, what we think and even how we think of ourselves. That’s why disinformation travels so quickly and why everybody gets so angsty over everything. The documentary pointed out that the algorithm doesn’t care about what’s true — it only cares about what will keep us addicted.

    That really hit home. I thought I was controlling what I was looking at on the internet, but now I can see the apps are doing a whole lot more than I ever thought about. It made me think about how much of my day is really my choice versus just something an algorithm would want me to look at.

So what can we do?

    One thing I liked about The Social Dilemma is that it doesn’t just complain about the problem — it makes you think. Obviously, we can’t just give up on the internet (especially as students — it’s how we communicate, learn and live). But we can be more aware. Since watching the movie, I’ve turned off a lot of notifications and I try to catch myself when I’m scrolling mindlessly. And then occasionally I find myself thinking, “Is this actually making me feel good? Or am I just stuck on repeat?”

    And also, I remind myself that the world is larger than social media. What’s on my feed isn’t the sum of anything and it’s definitely not the truth always. That small mindset shift has helped me feel a little more in control.

Final thoughts

    The Social Dilemma helped me see something that I kind of already understood but hadn’t really thought out: Our attention is valuable and somebody’s always seeking to profit off it. We’re not always paying for these apps in money, but we’re definitely paying otherwise, like in time, attention and even our own mental peace. Knowing that doesn’t equate to abandoning social media. But it does equate to attempting to use it more mindfully — and that’s a beginning.