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The Dilemma - Ghosto Malaysia

TODAY’S WORLD & TECHNOLOGY

In all of human history, we are now experiencing the highest level of technological advancement. This advancement has led to improved communication, access to information, and overall quality of life. However, this progress has also brought tragic consequences. Social media and the attention economy on which it is built pose serious risks to our culture, our well-being, and the well-being of future generations. People who snoop on us online steal the most valuable commodity there is: our time and attention. This model of capitalism has been dubbed “surveillance capitalism” and our private data is being traded without our consent or knowledge. The invasion of privacy is ongoing.

KEY ISSUE AREAS

FUTURE GENERATIONS_

Today’s youth face unprecedented physical, mental, and social challenges exacerbated by fast-changing technology.

ATTENTION & MENTAL HEALTH_

Technology is extracting our attention, weakening our memory, and driving addiction, loneliness, and depression.

INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT_

Misinformation, sensationalism, bad actors, and coordinated bots are destroying our information ecosystem.

DEMOCRATIC FUNCTIONING_

Maximizing engagement amplifies outrage, deepens divisions, and reduces empathy, which is eroding shared consensus.

PRIVACY & SAFETY_

Our data is exploited by an industry that extracts our attention, shapes our thoughts and behaviors, and makes us vulnerable to risks – all for profit.

WHY WE FOCUS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

There are many tech products, services, and platforms that negatively impact people and society.
Yet, social media is particularly problematic for the following reasons:

It is widespread

Social media has become a primary communication tool for 4.7 billion people worldwide, who average 2.5 hours on it daily

Social media companies are wildly powerful

Never before have so few companies had such control over us. In many ways, social media companies like Facebook are more powerful than most nation-states

It affects our ability to make sense of the world

Social media usage negatively affects our attention and cognition. This, combined with information overload and rampant misinformation, erodes our ability to discern fact both online and offline

It influences our thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors

Powerful social media algorithms and meticulously designed features dictate our digital experiences. The choices we are offered and the content we see impacts our thoughts and actions

Social media is difficult to regulate effectively.

The effects of social media have made people more confused and polarised than ever. As societies become more divided, people lose faith in institutions and even democracy. This, combined with a powerful tech lobby, makes social media difficult to regulate effectively.

UNDERSTANDING THE ATTENTION ECONOMY

Platforms profit by maximizing the amount of time users spend looking at, and clicking on, advertisements

🧠 👀 💸

Our Attention Is Currency

Tech platforms are caught in a race to monetize our attention and get us addicted to their products

🚨 🤯 📈

Attention is Mined & Sold

Human nature and user data are exploited to maximize engagement and sell targeted content

💰 😵 💀

Platforms Profit on Harms

Platforms profit from our attention, unleashing wide-ranging harms to society, from addiction to polarization

Many of today’s most popular platforms — Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Google — are “free” for us to use. Yet, they are some of the most profitable companies of our time.

So how do they make their profit? The “attention economy.”

The “attention economy” Platforms rely on digital advertising to keep their products “free.” These platforms make money from ad clicks and views. Therefore, the more time we spend on a platform, the more ads we see and the more money these platforms make.

They’ve built powerful engagement-maximizing algorithms using the endless data platforms collect on us because “engagement” increases their revenue. Maximum attention means maximum profit.

“if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.”

-The Social Dilemma-

MOVING FORWARD

Many of the negative effects of new technology are preventable

Causing harm to individuals and society is not a “cost of doing business”; we don’t need to accept the negative effects we face. Tech can and should improve our well-being and social environment.

Discover our approach to solutions and how you can create change.

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Ghosto is the youth voice of the Public Interest Technology (PIT) to raise awareness and advocate for better technology to address the digital threats of the 21st century. Ensure the Internet remains a force for good, bringing prosperity to us all.
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