Hey Jessinternet users
Working as an SEO and digital marketing, I know first hand the work going on behind the scenes with Search engines like Google or Social media platforms like Facebook! I think it should come as no surprise to you that I don’t use these platforms for personal and private consumption.
It’s like working in a fast-food restaurant when you see how the sausage is made; you lose all appetite for it. You can try to preach, but ignorance is bliss; people love free access to stuff and data monetisation is a billion-dollar business, so everyone seems happy with the arrangement.
Now I’m all for people agreeing to be part of something as long as you have a choice. You choose to create a Gmail, you choose to create a Facebook account, and you choose how you use the service.
Where I start to have a problem is when there is no choice, and you’re funnelled into something.
The illusion of choice
Silicon Valley tech companies have done amazing work in giving you the illusion of choice; if we look at Google, there are trillions of web pages to look at, you can go to page 22, but you won't. You trust the search algorithm to give you the best results on page 1.
If we look at Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, there are millions of posts and accounts on it you can look for, but you trust their automated feeds to bring you content.
If we look at the app store, there are millions of apps, but you trust the ones recommended to you by the app store.
We never question it; we hardly think of it as being malicious. All these algos are there to help us altruistically, but really is that the case? Could it be them consolidating power and pushing traffic to the apps, content and behaviour that they want and find most profitable?
Cherry picking products
The digital landscape is a new frontier, a chance for us to build a world without nation-states, borders and control, but so far, it's become governed by certain corporations. We've centralised the point of content with the internet via certain platforms, and they are cherry-picking the content we engage with, and if we never question why we receive certain content, we become slaves to the algorithm. It will constantly accept your data to feed you more of what gets you to do what they want.
This could be more time on site, more engagement, more feeling shit about yourself, so you click on ads that solve those feelings.
These platforms are not only colonising the sovereignty of the internet but also the sovereignty of our minds.
Extracted value at home, now time to go abroad
Many of these platforms were born in developed markets like the US and Europe and now that they've suckered in large swaths of the population at home, it's time to go and invade other lands. Now countries that have had very little infrastructure have become their darling targets.
Promising these countries free access to the internet, all they have to do in return is ONLY access the internet via their platforms, read the content they distribute and engage with products and services they provide.
Sounds like a pretty mafia-Esque take over to me.
We've got a little taste of the internet through these filtered and nerf'd world in web 2.0, my hope is that with the web. 3.0 people are at least given the choice. If your access to the internet is open and unrestricted and you still choose to use Facebook by all means, but if it's your only method of accessing information, then we only leave ourselves open to living off the central discussion making of others.
Have your say
What do you good people of HIVE think?
So have at it, my Jessies! If you don't have something to comment, "I am a Jessie."
Let's connect
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