The Social Dilemma, Fake News, and the Monetization of Truth

Imagine a reality in which almost every bit of information you consume is handpicked, edited, and abridged for your consumption. Information is given to you not because it’s necessarily true or factual, but because chances are, you’ll click, watch, read, like, or repost because, well, you already agreed with the headline before you even read the story.

 

Now imagine those who are feeding you this information. With every click, watch, share or engagement you give to the stories they’ve fed you, there’s money to be made. So what do they do? The same thing almost any human being would do. They seek to keep you constantly engaged and addicted to their platforms by catering the content you consume to your preferences, preconceived ideas, political leanings, likes, and dislikes. Can you imagine such a world as this? 

 

The scary thing is- you don’t have to. This is the reality you actually live in. Recently, conscientious defectors from big tech companies have claimed that the manipulation of human behavior for profit is actually coded into these companies with horrifying precision. Infinite scrolling and push notifications keep users constantly engaged; personalized recommendations use data not just to predict but also to influence our actions. As a result, this has turned users of search engines, social media platforms, and online news services into easy prey for advertisers and propagandists.

 

But at what cost? Experts and clinical researchers tell us that excessive consumption of online media and content can distort our view of ourselves, our relationships, our political and ideological opponents, and our broader reality. They also tell us that human willpower can’t be expected to compete with some of the most sophisticated A.I. systems on the planet that have been designed to keep us addicted and engaged to these platforms, not matter how hard we try to limit our consumption.

 

As followers of Jesus, we hold to the idea that truth is absolute- it doesn’t change based on our preferences or proclivities. But how do we find truth when it’s constantly being manipulated? Is there a way to develop a healthy relationship with these technologies? How can we make sure we’re actually understanding these issues and not just blindly consuming the information we’re being fed because it tells us what we want to hear?