TRIGGERnometry Jaron Lanier - The Truth About Social Media
Jul 25, 2022
Jaron Lanier, a pioneering computer scientist and visual artist, dives into the complex world of social media. He critiques the psychological manipulation embedded within tech business models and the adverse societal effects of social platforms. Lanier humorously discusses mental health challenges exacerbated by social media, particularly during elections. He emphasizes the importance of community-driven solutions and suggests a shift towards smaller, meaningful interactions online. The conversation highlights AI's role, advocating for transparency and authentic connections in a digital age.
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Social Media's Perverse Incentives
- Social media's business model perversely promotes the worst of human nature.
- It creates a behavior modification regime, making people vain, contentious, and paranoid.
Fake Socialism, Fake Capitalism
- Early internet companies adopted a contradictory business model.
- They presented a fake socialist user experience with fake capitalism on the backend.
Skinner's Network Experiment
- B.F. Skinner's experiment networking midwestern universities aimed to engineer a perfect society through behavior modification algorithms.
- This approach mirrors attempts by authoritarian regimes to control behavior and thinking.
