I just shared this on Facebook:
Attention, dear social media users and algorithm-loathing folk, take a breather from your Facebook scrolling and let's ponder a moment. Ever taken a stroll through your 21 most recent posts, counting how many are friendly updates from your Aunt Susan, versus the number of ads or AI-generated content? If you haven't, go ahead, we'll wait.
In the last year, I've been bullish on a protocol called Nostr. It's open source, meaning it's like the public library of social media – everyone's welcome, and everything is free. Plus, it's got the resistance of an immune-boosted toddler – no censorship, no algorithm nonsense. If someone's posts aren't your cup of tea, simply unfollow. It's as easy as swiping left on a questionable Tinder profile.
Life's too short, like a perfectly baked souffle or the lifespan of your phone's battery. If we decide to spend time on social media, shouldn't we consider how much of that time is devoted to stuff we never asked for? It's like going to a pizza joint, only to be served a plate of broccoli – not cool!
Facebook, for instance, has this nifty thing they call "Sponsored" (aka, "We paid good money to bombard you with this"). And then there's the "Suggested for you" section (more like, "Our AI reckons you'll like this enough to stick around for a dopamine high"). They tuck this all away under the posts in a shade of grey so light it makes ghosts look vibrant. It's a classic case of a Dark Pattern. But don't take my word for it, here's a handy link for all you knowledge-hungry folks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_pattern.
And don't even get me started on Twitter! They have this cheeky "For you" section hogging the limelight. It's the AI's personal stage to blast you with all sorts of content every time you log in. But don't fret, you can click on "Following" to see only the folks you're actually interested in, ever time you log in.
On the trendier side of things, TikTok has your FYP (For You Page) littered with AI picks and posts from those you follow. Instagram and Facebook, on the other hand, sneak in a sponsored ad every three posts, like a game of social media whack-a-mole.
So, let's say you're spending a whopping 90 minutes on social media daily. That means 30 minutes of your day is spent chowing down on a buffet of content specifically targeted at you. Like a sneaky surprise party, but the surprise is just more ads. Food for thought, isn't it?
cqwww /
npub14u…2wdka
2023-05-15 07:34:45
Author Public Key
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2023-05-15 07:34:45Event JSON
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"content": "I just shared this on Facebook: \n\nAttention, dear social media users and algorithm-loathing folk, take a breather from your Facebook scrolling and let's ponder a moment. Ever taken a stroll through your 21 most recent posts, counting how many are friendly updates from your Aunt Susan, versus the number of ads or AI-generated content? If you haven't, go ahead, we'll wait.\n\nIn the last year, I've been bullish on a protocol called Nostr. It's open source, meaning it's like the public library of social media – everyone's welcome, and everything is free. Plus, it's got the resistance of an immune-boosted toddler – no censorship, no algorithm nonsense. If someone's posts aren't your cup of tea, simply unfollow. It's as easy as swiping left on a questionable Tinder profile.\n\nLife's too short, like a perfectly baked souffle or the lifespan of your phone's battery. If we decide to spend time on social media, shouldn't we consider how much of that time is devoted to stuff we never asked for? It's like going to a pizza joint, only to be served a plate of broccoli – not cool!\n\nFacebook, for instance, has this nifty thing they call \"Sponsored\" (aka, \"We paid good money to bombard you with this\"). And then there's the \"Suggested for you\" section (more like, \"Our AI reckons you'll like this enough to stick around for a dopamine high\"). They tuck this all away under the posts in a shade of grey so light it makes ghosts look vibrant. It's a classic case of a Dark Pattern. But don't take my word for it, here's a handy link for all you knowledge-hungry folks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_pattern.\n\nAnd don't even get me started on Twitter! They have this cheeky \"For you\" section hogging the limelight. It's the AI's personal stage to blast you with all sorts of content every time you log in. But don't fret, you can click on \"Following\" to see only the folks you're actually interested in, ever time you log in.\n\nOn the trendier side of things, TikTok has your FYP (For You Page) littered with AI picks and posts from those you follow. Instagram and Facebook, on the other hand, sneak in a sponsored ad every three posts, like a game of social media whack-a-mole.\n\nSo, let's say you're spending a whopping 90 minutes on social media daily. That means 30 minutes of your day is spent chowing down on a buffet of content specifically targeted at you. Like a sneaky surprise party, but the surprise is just more ads. Food for thought, isn't it?",
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