Society has essentially turned into one, big, digital sandbox. We all have been given toys (smartphones, applications, etc.) that have divided us and made it increasingly difficult to find common ground. Technologies have made our lives easier (in some regard), but intricate complexities have been born out of media companies’ greed and lack of responsibility creating a landscape that is difficult to navigate. Through lived experience, and learning it “the hard way,” I don’t think it wise that we give these large media conglomerates the benefit of the doubt. As we have recently witnessed with X (formerly known as Twitter), profit usually takes priority over other considerations, including decency. Social media platforms that once seemed genuinely concerned with fostering connection and community now care more about engagement numbers regardless of whether the information is true and does no harm. So, how do we fix this? Is there one easy fix in this toxic situation? Unfortunately, I don’t think so.
Many believe that decentralization would help reclaim the internet. I am one of those people. “Decentralized social networks give users more control and autonomy. An individual can set up their social network and determine how it operates and what users can say. Instead of having content monitored by a corporation, the founder of a federated social network can establish the terms of acceptable behavior for the site.”
This past March 12th “marked the 35th anniversary of the World Wide Web.” The creator of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee even realizes that protocols must be changed in order to “save” the Internet. This says a lot. One could easily turn a blind eye and state that it’s not their issue to solve, but Berners-Lee says that the evolution of the web “…generates dysfunctional incentives that allow a few giant platforms and their all-knowing algorithms to steer human behavior into antisocial, destructive directions.”
Fortunately, there are ideas being created within organizations that place importance and control back on the user. “Project Liberty is an international impact organization mobilizing a global alliance of technologists, academics, policymakers and citizens to build a more responsible approach to technology development, including a more open internet infrastructure.” This organization calls out the impressive technological advancements being made and states that we must intercept before it’s too late.
I will be the first to admit that I have become a creature of habit – specifically when it comes to my social media consumption habits. I check my phone at the same time each day, I mindlessly scroll, hoping something exciting will pop-up on my feed (even though I have watched all stories and am “up-to-date!”), and interact with the same, frustrating applications as I did the day before. Initially, I thought I would limit my time on social media applications, but removing myself from the equation isn’t going to evoke meaningful change. I need to be more selective about what media platform(s) I use. In addition to this, I think it is also vital to recognize that this isn’t just one individual’s issue to solve. As we all interact with these platforms regularly, it is all of our responsibility to report false information, flag harmful speech, and selectively choose applications that are created with the user in mind.
The internet worked for quite some time, but necessary changes are now needed. “As the great architect and design philosopher Buckminster Fuller once said, ‘You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.’”
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