“The Social Dilemma,” Facebook Hearings, and Censorship.
It’s no secret that I am a fan of social media. I’ve written about it, talked about it, and made a career out of it. I believe it’s a powerful tool and should be treated as such, but not that it is inherently evil. I have closely followed Mark Zuckerberg’s career including each time he appeared in Washington, as well as the most recent whistleblower hearing. I almost always end up siding with Zuckerberg and am even called a “Zuckerberg groupie” among my friends.
Last year, I had so many people tell me to watch the Netflix docu-drama, “The Social Dilemma.” More than one friend told me, “it will totally change how you feel about social media.” Well, I watched the movie and I hate to break it to you, but I did not learn anything I didn’t already know. Not only me, but I am sure any digital marketer/advertiser that’s been working the past 10 years would say the same. Of course they are tracking us and of course they are doing something with that data. They are selling it back to us to use to our advantage. This isn’t a malicious thing.
I remember when I would first show my marketing clients the type of data we could get from Facebook Insights or Google Analytics, whether that be demographic data or behavioral data, and many told me that type of information was “creepy.” That response always baffled me because that “creepy” data was going to help me better market their business and reach brand new customers. As a business owner, I would think they would see the value in that, but it always took some proving.
Perhaps my favorite scene in the movie is when the family being portrayed decides they will lock all their cell phones in a glass box in order to have a phone-free dinner. At this point both the parents and the kids have realized they are addicted to their screens and are trying to find solutions together. At one point, the younger child asks to be excused and we hear a piercing CRASH as everyone realizes she couldn’t handle it and breaks open the box. It’s a jarring scene for sure, but I like it because it lays blame for social media addiction where I think it belongs: on us.
Technology addiction is nothing new, as I remember doing an article on it back in college for the newspaper. As we’ve evolved, so has the technology. Sure, it’s smarter and actively working to get us to spend more time on their product. But then again, so is every business. I don’t think big tech is any more ill-natured than any other business. Now, I do think it’s important that as many users as possible know how social media works (meaning how they decide to present what content to which people) but you don’t have to be afraid of it altogether. As with anything, you just need to find a healthy and safe balance for you and your family. And please, if you are a business owner trying to compete in today’s market, don’t ignore the tools available to you.
That being said, don’t take advantage of those tools. I distinctly remember a time when I was asked to target an ad in a way that gave me pause. I mustered up all my courage and said to my client, “just because we can target an ad in that way, doesn’t mean we should.” As much as the end user should be informed, I believe the biggest responsibility lies on those of us that know these products in and out. We can help keep social media a place of integrity and we can help bridge the gap between technology companies and unsuspecting users.
I remember when Zuckerberg first appeared in Washington in 2018. This was in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal where a ton of user data was compromised. I watched this hearing live and it was painfully clear by the end that big tech and Washington were not speaking the same language. This same issue was apparent again at the antitrust hearing in 2020. This is why I think it’s important for those of us who work in this industry to help facilitate dialogue between technology and end users. Whether you are a business owner or a parent, I so do not mind you randomly messaging me your burning social media questions!
What was most interesting to me about the 2018 hearing was that Washington largely felt like Facebook did not do enough during the 2016 election, citing their “psychological targeting” for much of the country’s inner turmoil. Not long after that hearing there were several changes that were put in place on Facebook’s ad platform including adding a disclosure to political ads and later a special verification for individuals placing political ads. I actually thought this was a positive change and didn’t mind jumping through the hoops. After the 2020 election however, Washington claims Facebook and Google engaged in “political censorship.” So which is it? First, they didn’t do enough, and now, they’re doing too much? This to me is a cautionary tale of ever trying to play ball with the government and of how the government has no business telling private companies how to conduct business in the first place.
In closing, I want to speak to all the claims of “censorship” that seem to be prevalent against Facebook. It seems not just big businesses but even every day users, who never took the time to understand the algorithm in the first place, are screeching “censorship” when their posts don’t go over as well as they had hoped. It is my opinion that most of what we are seeing now is not true censorship. True censorship is not supposed to be biased. It’s supposed to suppress obscenities that we can all agree on. The problem is that these days we can’t all agree on anything, so we are stuck in the middle while one side is primarily silencing the other side. Just like I believe private businesses have a right to run themselves as they see fit, I believe in the right to express our own opinions as we see fit. It is entirely possible to disagree with someone’s opinion while also appreciating their right to have it. If you can internalize that concept, you just might find yourself enjoying life more, both online and offline.
As always, I’d love to chat with you more on this topic. Message me on Instagram or Facebook.
XO - Olivia
