Thinking Out LoudA public conversation about opting out of social media algorithms marks a watershed moment. I love a viral meme as much as anyone. But algorithmic manipulation undermines dignity and plays to our sloppier instincts.
Growing up on Perth’s beaches, I was amazed at how quickly some surfers were able to paddle out – sometimes hundreds of metres. Then I learned they were reading the rips and riding them out to sea with minimal effort. Potential benefits. Massive risks.
But algorithms aren’t even quite like that. They’re more like currents that take us where they will. They offer us content we like without us having to search for it. Inspiring quotes. Killer recipes. Sports highlights. And of course, cats playing pianos. But their core purpose is not to help, but to harvest our attention. And when profits are king, the flames of addiction, extremism, and contempt are easily fanned. The face-off between the common market and the common good is rarely a fair fight.
Opposing voices promoting self-regulation grossly misconstrue the human condition. If there’s one thing we suck at, it’s self-control. Add corporate curation and we’re like driftwood in a storm. Our better angels are often asleep at the wheel, or at best driving under the influence. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul grimly admits, ‘I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.’ And Paul didn’t even have a smartphone.
We tend to drift towards what’s easiest, not what’s best for us. Your algorithm might not be all bad, but it’s not your friend. In an age of accelerated uncertainty and strong digital currents that can take us to places we haven’t chosen to be, we should be able to swim where we choose.
This Thinking Out Loud was first published on Facebook.