Rigged Game

Lately it’s pretty obvious that Americans are angry at each other. The nation as a whole appears more and more polarized over urgent issues. People only seem to be listening to the viewpoints of those who are similar to them. And if you’re like me and you like to stir the pot a little bit you’ve seen more than a few disagreements become very hostile.

So everybody sees this going on and it begs the question of why we’re becoming so closed minded. How is that possible when the internet allows everybody to share their opinion? How is that possible when there’s a lot more ideas actively in circulation nowadays than ever? You would think that the presence of social media platforms would encourage more diversity of thought and constructive interaction among people who otherwise would never be in contact with each other. Sounds logical right?

But we’re playing a rigged game. And guess who is rigging it.

I watch a lot of podcasts on YouTube to stay informed. Especially when the subject is political, I like to stay unbiased by exposing myself to all ends of the spectrum. So naturally the website is having some trouble placing me into a category but nonetheless I notice the attempts to push me down a rabbit hole. If I watch a Stephen Crowder video, suddenly I only get suggestions for conservative podcasts. If I watch a Young Turks video to get a new perspective, suddenly I only get suggestions for left-end podcasts. I totally understand how people get sucked in. I mean you can actually auto-play videos one after another non-stop, reaffirming and narrowing your perspective without hearing any ifs, ands, or buts. So if that’s the case, how would you react when somebody expresses disagreement in person? Probably very poorly.

Let’s talk about targeted ads. Maybe I’m just late to the party on this one but I was recently blown away by an article about Facebook’s artificial-intelligence algorithm for strategically placing ads. This super complicated system that I definitely don’t fully understand is constantly dictating who sees what based on data from previous consumer behavior. Basically the algorithm looks for shared traits and correlations between users based on previous online activity and groups people into “lookalike audiences” to easier assume their preferences. And there’s nothing wrong with targeting young men for athletic gear ads or old women for cat food. But when people supporting gun regulation see a completely different feed than people who oppose regulation, those two groups will only have less and less common ground.

I could talk about a million more sites but I think the key point remains the same. Keep your horizons as wide as you can. Even if you’re strong in your beliefs and refuse to change your mind, it’s still important to hear the other side. Because what’s the alternative? Everybody talks and nobody listens?

That’s just called talking to yourself.

When we allow our lives to transition from the physical to the digital, then what we see on our screen decides the world we live in. Don’t let a machine decide your world.

Filip, again.