We all have seen the Netflix documentaries, “The Great Hack” & “The Social Dilemma” which created a great buzz around how our data is used against us and how it can be used to manipulate the user to keep them more engaged on their screens. Yes, these documentaries are great and the adverse impacts shown are real and happening in real-time but maybe we are polarized only on the negative side.
“All Press is Good Press” but in the world of social media and content, it is easily observed that “Good Press is Good Press but Bad Press is Great Press”, meaning the possibility of negative things getting viral is way more than spreading good vibes. People go haywire when they see something trending and would just jump in the boar without taking a courtesy to check facts and stats. We have the examples such as “People cussing Snapdeal instead of Snapchat” and “The rating of Robinhood going down after the whole Gamestop fiasco”
The point is people are getting distracted for the sake of spicy content and are mostly time-wasting in order to make sure they are aware of all the latest trends. Most of the trending things are useless, please check out the Youtube trending list and you will get my point.
It is very important to show some positives even though they might be less in comparison.
One thing we all can relate to is the situation where you search for an XYZ product on an e-commerce site and the next thing you know is that similar products are suggested to you in your feeds on your social media accounts. It is commonly understood that this happens because of the link between your common email or other credentials among different platforms. A similar phenomenon occurs when you view different content on your social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and others. Based on what you like, share, and even “time spent” are accounted for in an algorithm to show you similar or relevant content. Many times we do see disclaimers such as based on your search history underlining. Now when you combine negative trends and trolls with like, share, and watch time, that is where you see people getting exposed to negativity and not-so-productive content.
The purpose here is to make sure you are familiar with things that can improve your search algorithms and in some way show you content that is helpful to you. We are the masters who created AI and should be in the driving seat than the other way around.
Think over the things you like and find interesting and start searching for the same, consume some of the same content, like them and then you will finally see recommendations of similar content in your feed. This will for sure expand your knowledge of your favorite topics. In my personal experience, I started watching MKBHD for tech reviews back in my college days, and soon after that, I was recommended by great other reviewers such as GeekyRanjit, Dave 2D, Jerry Rig Everything, and many others. If you are remotely familiar with the tech YouTube world you know these are great content creators. One of my best finds in the lockdown was “Kvizzing with Comedians” by Kumar Varun which I believe was suggested because I also consume some standup comedy and shows. Kumar Varun and Rahul Subramanian have a YT channel named “Random Chikibum” and the latter is a stand-up comedian, I hope you might get my point here !! Similar examples are there in the areas of the podcast, social-economic channels, and others.
For other things, start using incognito modes, not that it doesn't track your data but in most cases, it won't meddle with your search history. Let's admit we all search for stupid things and we might have the secret craving to listen to that latest Dhinchak Pooja songs or some hilarious meme content, incognito will come in most effective. In the end, we are social animals.
On social media platforms where you don't have the option of incognito, be conscious of things you like and share. Two things you can do, first especially in your Instagram explore section if you want content that is to your liking then start liking similar posts and watch similar things for a while then you will see the magic. Simple content to try initially will be food, just follow a couple of food pages and like their posts. And if you are like me who sometimes fall into the trap of watching funny reels and short comedies then there is an option of “Not interested” on every explore post which can be your pathway to the removal of irrelevant content. Both of the above cases won't fetch instant response but eventually, you will see improvements.
The same theory applies to Twitter and Facebook, it all depends on who you follow and obviously what you like.
In practice, it is almost inevitable to stay from the negativity unless you are on a digital detox (Highly recommended!) but keeping the right things in mind and being self-aware will always work in your favor. AI is only going to get more powerful and it is important that we govern ourselves with the right knowledge at bay.
