Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech's "top priority"

techoversight.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 170 posts

Re: Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech's "top priority"

#81

Post by dylan604 »

worik wrote: post #59
sharts wrote: post #9

This is obvious for anyone that understands sales and marketing. The real question isn’t whether this was true—the question is why does anyone expect this revelation would change anything? They made their wealth. They bought their politicians. In the worst possible case for them they would pay some fee that amounts to absolutely nothing making a dent in their personal day to day lives as a consequence of their action…

> In the worst possible case for them they would pay some fee that amounts to absolutely nothing making a dent in their personal day to day lives as a consequence of their actions. Probably, not definitely It would be possible to put the executives in jail.

> It would be possible to put the executives in jail.

In what universe would this be possible?

Re: Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech's "top priority"

#82

Post by dylan604 »

mikkupikku wrote: post #15
sagacity wrote: post #6

It's good to see that many countries are working on lesiglation to protect children and teens against this, since the companies clearly aren't trying.

American tech corps act like cigarette companies but we're still at the point where banning them for kids is considered weird, fringe and even dangerous. Crazy.

At least they are not running commercials saying 9 out of 10 doctors agree social media is good for you. That's the best thing I can say about them.

Re: Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech's "top priority"

#83

Post by eimrine »

Why Zuckerberg is any better than the jeevacation?

Both cases makes teens as victims, both cases was a great deal for them but only from the first look. Both cases are piramid-like schemes when the victims attract new victims to keep benefitting from the system. Is it just like in alcohol case, when having too many victims justifies a bad spirit as the new norm?

Re: Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech's "top priority"

#84

Post by dylan604 »

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #80
mikkupikku wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

American tech corps act like cigarette companies but we're still at the point where banning them for kids is considered weird, fringe and even dangerous. Crazy.

The general problem is that nobody actually needs cigarettes but communication is fundamental to the human experience. How do you even propose to define "social media" in a way that can distinguish between it and any other public forum for discussion? The actual problem is not that kids are using group communications technology, it's that the network effect in public interaction has been captured by private companies…

> but communication is fundamental to the human experience.

Humans survived well before the internet, the telephone, the telegraph, or even international post.

Re: Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech's "top priority"

#85

Post by miltonlost »

1bpp wrote: post #44
shaftway wrote: post #11

I feel like there are some key differences between the companies though. The second one outlined for Meta is: > Heavily-redacted undated internal document discussing “School Blasts” as a strategy for gaining more high school users (mass notifications sent during the school day). This sounds a lot like Meta being intentionally disruptive. The first one outlined for YouTube is: > Slidedeck on the role that YouTube’s au…

My YouTube use definitely isn't healthy, but it's still the only social app that asks me to take a break if I use it too long or late at night. That should be standard in any of these apps.

Earthbound even did this on the SNES back in 1994

Re: Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech's "top priority"

#86

Post by fsflover »

mikkupikku wrote: post #62
integralid wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea of banning meta or Google is indeed not serious. What's realistic is forcing them to behave by issuing fines that make such behavior prohibitively expensive. Admittedly there's nobody doing that in Europe seriously yet, but that's because the current unhinged head of American state has meltdown every time American bigtech get a wrist slap.

> What's realistic is forcing them to behave by issuing fines that make such behavior prohibitively expensive. Europeans have been saying that for what, 20 years now? How long does it have to not work before we stop saying that it's a realistic solution?

There were no serious attempts at enforcing the rules.

Re: Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech's "top priority"

#87

Post by pembrook »

AlexandrB wrote: post #78
pembrook wrote: post #68

This reads like an Onion headline. Gosh, I hope the media never unearths the documents on my company. They’ll learn that keeping my customers coming back was also my top priority. The horror! If they dig a little deeper they might uncover a vast conspiracy, that every business on earth has been secretly conspiring for decades to give people a service so good they’ll come back again and again for it. If this isn’t Pul…

> every business on earth has been secretly conspiring for decades to give people a service so good they’ll come back again and again for it You're out of touch. The modern approach is to give people a service just barely good enough so they don't leave outright and keep them coming back with fomo, clickbait, and pandering to their worldview. I doubt user satisfaction is even a column in a table at social media compa…

Social media is a marketplace business. Both parties are your customer.

Re: Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech's "top priority"

#88

Post by silverquiet »

1bpp wrote: post #44
shaftway wrote: post #11

I feel like there are some key differences between the companies though. The second one outlined for Meta is: > Heavily-redacted undated internal document discussing “School Blasts” as a strategy for gaining more high school users (mass notifications sent during the school day). This sounds a lot like Meta being intentionally disruptive. The first one outlined for YouTube is: > Slidedeck on the role that YouTube’s au…

My YouTube use definitely isn't healthy, but it's still the only social app that asks me to take a break if I use it too long or late at night. That should be standard in any of these apps.

Does it recommend taking a break? Mostly I've seen it ask if I'm still watching. I've always assumed this is not for user benefit, but in order to not spend bandwidth on a screen that is not being looked at.

The only site I'm familiar with that has somewhat decent self-limiting functions built in is HN's no procrastination settings. But that's of course because HN isn't run to make money, but as a hobby.

Re: Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech's "top priority"

#89

Post by sagacity »

uniq7 wrote: post #74
sagacity wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is like saying parents are at fault when a gun salesman sells a weapon to their 12 year old.

More like saying parents are at fault when a gun salesman enters their home every day, talks for hours with their children, and sells them weapons. Have these parents tried to not let the salesman in?

Your argument is conflating smart phones with social media apps and you seem to be assuming that kids wouldn't have access to their phone in other locations where they are unsupervised, subject to peer pressure, etc.

The "just say no" argument, basically.

Re: Unsealed court documents show teen addiction was big tech's "top priority"

#90

Post by alamortsubite »

The "weird" thing about YouTube Shorts is no matter how many times you hide them (by clicking "Not Interested" or "Show fewer of these", however they label it), YouTube will continue to show them to you in your feed. I've hidden that crap 100 times and no doubt it'll be back soon.
Post reply on HN