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Fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial

bbc.com

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Re: Fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial

#81

Post by bjt »

aprilthird2021 wrote: post #9
mmaunder wrote: post #5

We all know they're addictive, they're designed to be addictive, and they're very, very harmful, to both adults and children. The individuals who are profiting from the harm are clearly identifiable. And that harm directly targets children. That this is allowed to continue is a symptom of a sick society.

But so is cable television designed to be addictive. So are most restaurants and ice cream parlors and grocery stores designed to get you to spend more. Most loyalty programs are designed to be addictive to get you to come back, etc. etc. I just worry we left no levers for the public to regulate these entities and this is the worst option of very few options. Who isn't liable under this kind of logic?

The nice thing about laws passed by a legislature is that they don't need to have some airtight logic to stop us falling down every slippery slope.

If cable television or restaurants or ice cream start causing harm that we want to deal with, we can vote on that when the time comes.

Re: Fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial

#82

Post by kjkjadksj »

troad wrote: post #75
jimmyjazz14 wrote: post #64

I have no love for social media, but I also really don't like the idea of the government regulating how apps are designed, or trying to circumnavigate online privacy to "protect children" which where I see this whole thing going. On another note, personally I'm not sure I buy the "addictive" argument with social media, maybe its just me but I find social media pretty boring, but I think for a lot of younger people it…

It's wild to me how many people are willing to throw basic civil liberties overboard because they don't like the other guys. Today's media circus is about addictive social media. Before that it was video games and rock music and D&D clubs. Before that it the Satanic panic of the 80s, gay 'recruitment', Soviet spies. Much before that it was witches and heretics. And so on and so on, forever. If you have a choice, mayb…

At some point we limit your freedom of expression to do things like dump toxic waste up river. This ought to be no different. The poisoning of the american mind for profit.

Re: Fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial

#83

Post by CamperBob2 »

wheelerwj wrote: post #40
CamperBob2 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any ice cream company that has ever hired a major ad agency.

Not even close and you know it.

You don't know much about the advertising or food businesses, I take it.

Suggest Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation. It'll open your eyes.

Re: Fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial

#84

Post by czhu12 »

What would be an actually good faith way of regulating this short of banning it for children (which I’d think is fine). How do you define what is too addictive?

At any given time it seems like whatever is defined as the most addictive is just the one with most market share? For me personally I think most addictive is actually hacker news (god bless you all)

Re: Fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial

#85

Post by twoodfin »

slopinthebag wrote: post #26
aprilthird2021 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But so is cable television designed to be addictive. So are most restaurants and ice cream parlors and grocery stores designed to get you to spend more. Most loyalty programs are designed to be addictive to get you to come back, etc. etc. I just worry we left no levers for the public to regulate these entities and this is the worst option of very few options. Who isn't liable under this kind of logic?

I don't think that is really true though. People aren't becoming addicted to grocery stores, ice cream parlours and restaurants, or even cable television to nearly (any?) degree. None of those are engineered to addict you in nearly the same degree or magnitude.

What the best evidence that otherwise psychologically healthy people are becoming clinically addicted to social media?

People used to spend an awful lot of mindless time watching TV. They weren’t “addicted” in a clinically meaningful sense.

Re: Fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial

#86

Post by buttersicle »

mocheeze wrote: post #71
buttersicle wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please provide a link.

http://nmlegis.gov/Sessions/99%20Regular/FinalVersions/SB013...

You're linking to new mexico state law?

If you're going to pick a law from one of the smallest states in the union, the least you could do is quote the relevant excerpts.

This is a pathetic rebuttal.

Re: Fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial

#87

Post by twoodfin »

kjkjadksj wrote: post #82
troad wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's wild to me how many people are willing to throw basic civil liberties overboard because they don't like the other guys. Today's media circus is about addictive social media. Before that it was video games and rock music and D&D clubs. Before that it the Satanic panic of the 80s, gay 'recruitment', Soviet spies. Much before that it was witches and heretics. And so on and so on, forever. If you have a choice, mayb…

At some point we limit your freedom of expression to do things like dump toxic waste up river. This ought to be no different. The poisoning of the american mind for profit.

The traditional solution to speech you don’t like is more speech you do like.

Re: Fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial

#88

Post by twoodfin »

martythemaniak wrote: post #73

I propose a Neotemperance movement. The original Progressives of the late 19th and early 20th century were not just against alcohol but all sorts of social ills, including gambling. The Neotemperance movement would be anti engineered addiction, anti gambling, anti misinformation, anti ads, and anti corruption.

May it have similar success!

Re: Fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial

#89

Post by troad »

kjkjadksj wrote: post #82
troad wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's wild to me how many people are willing to throw basic civil liberties overboard because they don't like the other guys. Today's media circus is about addictive social media. Before that it was video games and rock music and D&D clubs. Before that it the Satanic panic of the 80s, gay 'recruitment', Soviet spies. Much before that it was witches and heretics. And so on and so on, forever. If you have a choice, mayb…

At some point we limit your freedom of expression to do things like dump toxic waste up river. This ought to be no different. The poisoning of the american mind for profit.

And at some point we limit Japanese American freedom of movement for general public safety during a war with Japan. Still no different?

Bad take. Civil liberties matter.

Re: Fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial

#90

Post by dolebirchwood »

maxaw wrote: post #34
twoodfin wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In what sense do you mean Instagram is “addictive” to a neurotypical adult?

I don’t know a single person who after exposure to short form video has not had to exert special effort to regulate their consumption.

Is this a young people thing? I'm 40. I have never liked Shorts. What am I supposed to get out of 10 seconds of video? And all the sudden jump-cuts, and big obnoxious one-word-at-a-time subtitles... They're all literally unwatchable.
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