The Social Dilemma

So true. I bought two bike tubes at a bike shop. Paid with credit card.

Next day Amazon sent me e-mail with assorted bike part recommendations.

They had never done that before. So Amazon has direct access to my credit card purchases.

As the credits roll the interviewees seem somewhat optimistic about turning things around

but I think it's too late. People love being addicted to their advices. 

I made it through about 2/3 of it the other night. I fell asleep, because I was tired, not because of the show. But it was crazy, but nothing I didn't know already. It's just that here you have the people who created this shit telling you how fucked up it is and what a bunch of egocentric childish little pricks they all are and have been. Like babies with nuclear bombs. I guess it had to happen, but Gen Z really is going to be all fucked up because of this in terms of socialization and psychological development. Hopefully, the next generations will have a little more sense as to the proper usage of screens and internet.

On the other hand, it's pretty clear that our future is screen-related, it ain't going nowhere. Especially now after the pandemic. It's become totally normal for kids to spend 7 or 8 in front of their computer for school time, another hour and a half of video games (the maximum recommended screen time for 14 year olds), but then they want to socialize and of course you don't expect them to never socialize again so then you're talking about an hour or more of facetime or whatever. During all this time kids can easily open whatsapp on their computers, telegram, snapchat, tik tok, instagram, whatever. Parents walk in? You close it in a hearbeat. Teacher on video conference asks you to put the phone away? You say ok, and do it again in two minutes. We are in a fucked up Catch-22.

So the key thing moving forward is going to be to educate our children in values and ethics so that online communication becomes reflective of the type of society we want. But sadly, it's going to be impossible to get kids away from all these hyper-dangerous online platforms. As a teacher and as a parent, I am part of the minority of parents who greatly restricst my children's online presence. In my house: No cell phone till your 14, my 13 year old gets 1 hour 45 minutes of screen time max a day, combined total and my 8 year old 50 minutes. No social networks until AT LEAST 14 and even then we will have the passwords and share the profile. But none of this is because we are strict and impose it upon them. In our family we.talk about these issues, the evidence, what the experts say, what the risks are, etc. and then we create healthy limits together with our kids. 

Anyways, watch the documentary...

Oh, and I've deleted all my social networks a long time ago. Fuck that noise. I find that my advertising algorithm is no longer such a direct reflection of my online activity. 

So Amazon has direct access to my credit card purchases.

Actually, no. Amazon only knows that you were shopping at a bike parts. You would get the same email if you just browsed the site. In reality most ads these days are served up via Google ad server and any of the sights that use Googles AdSense can see what you are looking at at any of the "member" sights. So if you look at a bunch of home improvement videos on YouTube, you will be "served" more home improvement ads at most sites. A perfect case in point is that a certain model of Ferrari was being discontinued and I read a news release about it. Since then I have gotten a lot of Ferrari dealership ads whenever I am browsing around the web. I didn't go to Ferrari dealership website and I certainly didn't buy one. What the algorithm told Google was that showed an interest in Ferrari and when cross referenced to my living location in an affluent area that I "could" be someone that might be in the market for a Ferrari. I ignore the ads and at some point of time they will disappear. Of course, I might win the lottery and decide that I want a Ferrari. In that case they the ads did their job. 

As someone who worked in advertising for 35 years - FUCK advertising.

Made a clean break in 2018. 

The best thing that happened to me after leaving that world was that I GOT MY SOUL BACK.

I've trained myself over the decades to ignore advertising of all types. Even if it's a well-made, interesting ad I still ignore or forget within seconds the brand name. Internet ads are a lot easier to ignore than TV ads, especially since I usually browse w/o the audio on - only turn it up when there's something I want to hear. Also, I don't use any social media. Hence, I don't really care much about internet ad algorithms. I don't like the idea, but it doesn't really affect me personally.

Propaganda all is phony

i don't think it was very well done.

I haven't watched it yet but had we not noticed that even by speaking around your phone about a product an ad is generated to your social media?

They don't need to have access to your account -- as long as they know your trends they're doing their jobs. 

Fagen was right about the internet 

had lunch with an old friend, touched on many topics as we caught up, including death and cremation

I go home after and check the mail box on my way inside

among the post is a letter from the local crematorium

less then 2 hours after mentioning it they were able to place a hard copy in my mailbox?

I've never owned a cell phone...   I know if i use my laptop, my ads will often reset to the area where I'm using it.  But what really cooked my noodles, is when I discovered they can follow my truck (2013 model, has satellite radio and a phone).

I went to one of my mining sites, no laptop, but I was in the field for a week.  When I got home, almost all my internet recommendations and ads had switched to that new area (a place i've never lived)

charming.....

One thing Amazon knows is that I can't buy one share of it's stock.

Up 56 today to 3160.00

I really enjoyed the documentary- definitely concerned for where we are heading.  I see the scenes acted out in the documentary play out in 3D all the time.