Responsibility and Impact of Social Media Infinite Scrolling

Social media platforms introduced infinite scrolling which became a powerful tool but also brought responsibility. The continuous feed bypasses stopping cues, manipulating users' dopamine systems. This design keeps users engaged, leading to a race among platforms to adopt the feature for prolonged user engagement. The social dilemma arose from this race to the bottom, where platforms prioritize user attention over well-being. Social media serves as the first interaction between humanity and AI, with platforms solely focused on predicting and serving content for continuous engagement, thereby affecting users' attention span and self-worth. The race for attention led to the rise of social media influencers as a top career choice, solidifying the value of attention in society. The impact extends to children, shaping their values and self-worth based on seeking external validation. The influence of social media on society has created a scenario where unplugging or correcting negative effects is challenging due to financial interests and the inability of individual platforms to regulate themselves effectively. To address the detrimental effects of social media, collective rules governing all platforms are necessary as no single entity can navigate this complex landscape independently.