The Trollworld - 2020 and the problem with social media algorithms.
A friend sends you a link to a video, you watch it and say “Wow, that’s nuts, it cannot be true!”, then, another similar video arrives, and then another. Slowly, your perception starts changing, only if unconsciously.
I have never thought I had a problem with recommendation algorithms offered by Google News, YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn, Netflix, and for that matter Medium, too. I try to stay focused on the smart and balanced topics and my “feeds” mostly reflect it. So I thought.
Then, I noticed that every time I stray into something like politics, or any other polarizing subject the social media latches to it like a drowning man to a liferaft and tries to force-feed me the new subject.
The most recent trend showing up for me is “Why people leave California?”. I used to live in California, I watched one video on the subject, I liked it, now that subject makes up every third video offered to me. I know, it will go away as I start ignoring it.
Not everything is easy to ignore. Back in 2020, likely the most embarrassing year of most of our lives, instead of focusing on new discoveries, education, literature, philanthropy, or art, we were glued to the screens watching the youth vandalizing our cities and the old clowns polarizing the nation. The scene, with some costume changes, could have been taken straight out of 1918 Russia, or 1939 Germany, both being a scary preamble to tens of millions of people losing their lives.
The social media, which I blame here, have their algorithms optimized for maximum engagement which leads to polarization and the rabbit holes of interest that no sane person would ever predict. Two of the currently deepest rabbit holes being radical left and radical conservatism with nothing in the center.
What is worse, instead of promoting the voice of reason, common sense, balance, and cooperation, the algorithmic optimization promotes the worse of the content creators. If you don’t believe me, think about what used to draw larger crowds, the oration of the wise philosopher, or a public execution? A recitation of Virgil or a gladiatorial fight involving wild animals, screams, and gore? You would hope things have changed.
I titled this article the “troll-world”, the trolls being the mythical creatures that live in the dark holes under the bridges, making their living by taking a heavy toll on anyone who passes by. Today, the trolls abound in form of the algorithms which prey on human psychology, the doomsday content creators that do the same, and the commentators that find an outlet and the audience for their anger.
I know the people running social media companies are good at heart, and I hope they will alter the social media objectives from maximum engagement to something that promotes.., hmm.., wisdom, if ever so slightly. It is not an easy task, but it is possible.
We all have to help, too. First, by being aware of what is happening and understanding human psychology, and second, by making wiser choices.
If a platform is leading you in a weird direction, please force the change. As gramma has said, do not hang out with a bad crowd. If you feel you are being lead to some extreme corner of the dark web on Reddit or Twitter, calm down and head right back to the center. The center! I am not talking about politically correct neverland, but rather about simple common sense.
I plead with the political leaders, do not to alienate most of us. There are the Democrats and the Republicans and there is most of the nation is in the middle, currently unrepresented. This needs to change, soon.
We need leaders who are wise visionaries.
I call for the new age of reason, balance, and enlightenment.
We can change it, we can find wisdom. We have to.
