Everyone who uses any sort of algorithmic social media, including Reddit or YouTube, TikTok, Instagram will have their content influenced by algorithms. Even if you use Discord, which doesn't have algorithms, you will interact with people who use these algorithms.
It's important to understand that these algoritms are optimized for engagement. They use machine learning to know what makes people the most engaged. Overwhelmingly, this means they they optimize for anger and fear. They optimize for dysregulated nervous systems.
Nervous systems hosting plural systems are often neurodivergent and have heavy trauma, even if they are not traumagenic. It is not always easy being different from the norm.
I wanted to raise this issue, because I have seen threads here where people seem heavily dysregulated, panicked. Their minds have been programmed by corporations to convince them that the world is terrible, it's in terrible danger, and there's nothing they can do.
It's possible I am misreading that, but please take an inventory the next time you get dysregulated online. These are some questions to ask.
- Is this an issue where I have independently done research? Have I intentionally sought out information to get a holistic view of the issue?
- Is this an issue where I feel I can meaningfully contribute toward making it better, or does thinking about this issue push me towards learned helplessness?
- What corporations are benefitting from my engagement with this issue? Is my opinion on this making me use Reddit, YouTube more?
Leftists sometimes think they are immune to this, because why would e.g. corporations push anti-corporate slogans? But you will notice that many of the most active users of Reddit intensely complain about it and corporations in general.
Reddit financially benefits from anti-corporate attitudes. Not boring ones like "There should be legislation to ban emotional manipulation for profit" but "Corporations are evil and destryoing the planet, and there's nothing I can do about it." Corporations benefit quite a lot from those positions.
I hope this does not get removed, I am specifically posting this because I've seen this issue in our space. Our community has vulnerable people in it, who should know how to pay attention to how they are being manipulated.
- Edelgard