One of the dilemmas discussed is manipulating the users.
Never before have a handful of tech designers had such control over the way billions of us think, act, and live our lives.
And it is so recognizable. When I send a message to someone and I see that this person is 'online', or even 'typing…', I wait for the response. So I stay in the app. These kinds of small nudges give us a push to do what the platform wants.
To a certain extent I find this 'okay'. After all, you decide to use the platforms and enjoy the benefits. country email list (Yes, they do exist.) But it is a different story when we (the product) are manipulated to generate more income for the advertisers. That is where the documentary caught my attention.
If you're not paying for the product, you are the product.
And yes, this is also known, but such a documentary makes you more aware of this. Most income is generated by hate speech, polarization and increasing (political) differences. And that is due to the revenue model.
The social media revenue model
Keeping users as long as possible and showing them as much as possible. That is the basis of the revenue model. And how do you do that? By making it addictive with all kinds of clever tricks. As long as no legislation or other regulation is developed for this, this model will not change.
There are only two industries that call their customers 'users': illegal drugs and software – Edward Tufte .