(LONG RANT)-A public service announcement. I know it might be obvious since I am posting in Privacy. Most of you might know this already. But I have to rant. Just in case if this helps anybody. You can test this for yourself. Click on any, usually political posts, you will see nonstop arguing, then you will start getting more and more posts like that. Same thing with TikTok and Reddit for sure. The sites want you to engage more so you stay on there. Especially now in these crazy political times. I have grown very disgusted with this and have deleted every app I can think of that does it. It is also very bad for your mental health. Now, who knows what data they are trying to get from those sites too. And some sites require your phone number or some kind of stupid verification process. This will get worse, you might have to add your ID just to enter in more websites online eventually. It is happening already with age restricted adult sites and with Discord. But honestly, you should already be watching what your kids are doing anyway. There will always be parental control tools. Now, the social media apps sure don’t help your child’s mental health either. They could be talking to anybody on them, a very disturbing thought. With them also posting photos and videos. I would never let my child do that on any website. Too many creeps out there. Obviously, when they are an adult that is a different story. But, children being on sites like these is very harmful to their minds. Even kids apps, they can click on AI slop that might say the ABC’s wrong or something like that. They have to be watched when you give them some random iPad. This whole rant might sound nuts, but I had to say it.
I’m not saying it’s 100% the fault of algorithms. Sure, they work because they prey on very real human nature.
But lemmy isn’t apart from the rest of the internet or the overculture. The “algorithm” (to torture the term) that guides the news cycles, manufactures bikeshedding style outrage over meaningless diversions like the colour of a government swimming pool, etc… that does seep into our timelines and conversions.
Like you and I are at slightly different perspectives on what an algorithm is and how much of it can be said to affect people against their will, and some people will see us as arguing for two “sides” of a political spectrum.
I believe in personal responsibility sure, but I also believe all this other stuff affects us, and that I can’t even totally blame people who might be more susceptible to it.
At a certain point I blame the companies that keep putting out those hooks they know are harmful knowing that someone will always bite (millions of people will “bite” to greater or lesser degrees).
At that scale I think the excuse of saying people have personal responsibility (not your words) gets diluted because we all have different innate capacities and weaknesses.
It can only be called predatory.