How can we get big tech companies to work with us rather than against us? Their current business model forces them to sell our personal information to generate revenue. This is why we see ads for products that we typically think about. They create a customer profile of us and then sell that information to advertisers.
There are a few solutions to fix this problem. The most obvious is to charge a subscription fee. I know some of you are nodding your heads right now, but there’s a good reason for it. This gives tech companies the incentive to make us happy instead of their advertising cohorts.
This reminds me of the X, formerly known as Twitter, situation. Elon Musk says he plans to charge a “small monthly payment” for users to access the platform. This came after he was accused of antisemitism. X experienced an increase in bullying and antisemitic posts after his acquisition. This led many advertisers to abandon the platform. Now, he has to find another way to fund the company.
Social media can be redesigned to help us instead of sucking us into a digital abyss. It’s a great communication tool that we use to stay connected with people from all around the world. The book mentioned that it can indicate who’s in the area and who’d like to hang out. This way the platform serves its real purpose by connecting people together. (Hari, 2021, p. 160)
It can also match us with people that have similar interests. You will be able to surround yourself with like-mined individuals that can help you achieve a goal; similar to a gym buddy. A battery of scientific evidence shows that if you want to succeed in changing something, you should meet up with groups of people doing the same. (Hari, 2021, p. 161)
These sites can easily disable the features that distract us and steal our ability to focus. This current business model can be changed by government regulations. We have the ability to make a change. There have been numerous historical events where ordinary citizens were able to change the status quo.
Brito, Christopher. “Elon Musk Suggests X Will Start Charging All Users “Small Monthly Payment” – CBS News.” Www.cbsnews.com, 19 Sept. 2023, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-x-twitter-monthly-payment/
Johann Hari. Stolen Focus : Why You Can’t Pay Attention–and How to Think Deeply Again. New York, Crown, 2021.
KREATIVV INC 