Ai and Social Media Beat Up our Society.
An article pops up in my NEWS feed about the ails of AI or I overhear concerned parents talking about how to limit their child’s phone use and it takes everything in me to not roll my eyes. I have a visceral overreaction that causes me to snark under my breath, “this technology is here and is not going away, just get over yourself and embrace the change”. I believe my reaction is a byproduct of the constant back and forth in media boundary settings that have caused me mental fatigue on the sudject. I do not even want to hear it anymore.
Reading the social media and AI articles in the Atlantic magazine have reminded me that we can positively embrace change but do not have to allow it to go unchecked and uncontrolled. If we blindly jump on this bandwagon, our society may be in jeopardy (eye roll). Experiencing the last few years of politics in the USA, has revealed the polarization of our nation. Jonathan Haidt talks of Madison’ s Federalist No. 10 papers which shows the propensity for people to form sides and be against the other, often around “frivolous” topics.[1] We naturally divide. I have not experienced more polarization in my lifetime than now, and I do see social media’s role in it. Social media has provided a platform where bad behavior is rewarded. The more inflammatory or emotional a post is the more it gets liked and shared.[2] Our cancel culture is the perfect example of this. It seems we have lost the ability to relate and sharpen each other by considering each other’s viewpoints.
I believe the greatest ail that social media and AI have perpetuated is the breakdown of relationship. This is especially true for the younger generations who can live in a virtual world where they do not know the identity of anyone for sure, leading to distrust[3]. People loose social interaction skills by lack of in person relationships[4]. Relationships are more disposable when you attain your worth from a broad, shallow audience who can give you a thousand likes one day and rip you down in comments the next[5] This has led to a mental health crisis in our youth where there is anxiety and less ambition for relationships, work, independence and excelling in education.[6] Personally, I have seen these things to be true in raising my kids, teaching college students and employing or working on a team with this age group. I admit, I often get frustrated with the lack of motivation and fragility that I perceive as laziness and weakness. After reading “End the Phone-Based Childhood Now” I have more compassion and empathy. The psychological effects that the online life has had on our youth has robbed them from social and mental stability. They go into life with a greater timidity then the generations before. The younger generation need things like “safe spaces” and “trigger warnings” for their fragile state.[7] I find it interesting that most youth don’t even like the phone-based life they are trapped in.[8]
While the affects can be seen greatly in the younger generations, I wish for more dialogue around the effects on the older generations. I often see parents who are addicted to their phones trying to parent their children through social media boundaries. This feels like the saying, do what I preach, not what I do. Many of my clients, who are middle aged or seniors, are emersed in phone games, You Tube and social media for most of the day. Some even admit that they have lost the ability to work or even do basic daily tasks because of the addiction to their phones. Motivation is zapped from them and their physical bodies are unable to perform normal tasks.
I appreciate that there are seemingly effective options to keep social media in check. Reprograming platforms to not easily award extreme behavior and authentication of accounts[9] seem like two feasible options. Clearly marking AI generated content to create transparency and holding platforms responsible would be beneficial social policies to put trust back into people and content.[10] We as communities can advocate for such changes in grassroots efforts that Americans[11] are know for, restoring hope that change can be made.
[1] Haidt, Johnathan “Why the Past Ten Years have been Uniquely Stupid” The Atlantic; 2022; 9https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/05/social-media-democracy-trust-babel/629369/
[2] Haidt, Johnathan, Tobias Rose-Stockwell “The Dark Psychology of Social Networks” The Atlantic. December 2019: 5
[3] [Haidt 2022, 12]
[4]Haidt, Johnathan. “Based Childhood Now End the Phone-Based Childhood Now” The Atlantic, 2024: 6
[5] [Haidt 2024, 7]
[6] [Haidt 2024, 1-2}
[7] [Haidt 2024, 8-9]
[8] [Haidt 2024, 9]
[9] [Haidt 2019, 34]
[10]Haidt, Jonathan, Eric Schmidt “AI Is About to Make Social Media Much More Toxic” The Atlantic, May 2023; 10-12
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/05/generative-ai-social-media-integration-dangers-disinformation-addiction/673940/
[11] [Haidt 2019, 39]
About the Author
Jess Bashioum
7 responses to “Ai and Social Media Beat Up our Society.”
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Jess, thanks for the post. I found your thoughts on the older generation interesting. Could you speak more about the effect you see on older people and whether it is different from or the same as that of younger people?
I see similar effects of the phone-life on older and younger populations when it comes to addiction. Both seem to dislike the amount of time social media takes up in their lives but can’t seem to stop. I notice that both find it harder to pursue work, relationships and education because of the sedentary and isolated nature that internet phone use has consumed of their lives.
I work with women in supportive housing where we walk alongside women who have come out of homelessness. We seek to steadily transition them to self supportive, stable lives. One of the main barriers is the lack of motivation to get up and out. They miss job interviews, government assistance office visit, court dates and so on because of the distraction and escapism of the digital world. They don’t have to deal with their life situation if they are absorbed in a gambling app with lights and cute creatures while lying on their beds. I believe this is probably true of the younger generation as well, but the difference is that there is a wealth of information on its effects on the younger generation with resources available to support, while the older folks don’t have much age appropriate support for themselves.
Jess –
It does seem that there are many “straw man” arguments out there about technology, social media, and bad actors. One thing I appreciated about this week’s reading is how the Heidt and Smyth seem to opt for a redemptive but clear-eyed approach.
I agree with much of what they say, but I also believe there is more at work than just the cascading failures or consequences of unchecked social media advancement. Socially, we have been growing more isolated for some time–think of how architecture for homes has changed in the last several decades: until the 1950s, houses were built with big front porches and those became ready neighbor-gathering spaces. We shifted from prioritizing those community-facilitating spaces to back yards with back decks that were more exclusive, invite-only spaces.
I wonder what it looks like to build more “front porches” in our immediate spheres of relationship, and the change that could bring.
I like your practical image of how home architecture reflects our growing isolation as a society. I see this also reflected in newer neighborhoods with at least one closed garage as the main feature at the front of the house. People drive in, shut the door and enter their homes without ever have to interact with anyone around them. I love living in an older neighborhood where the only parking available is street parking. The conversations and greetings that occur are priceless. I often say my neighborhood looks like one in the 50’s. We all know each other and look out for one another.
I wonder what the interplay is of our individualistic culture and the digital based life. America has had an individualistic worldview that has been built into its culture since its founding, long before computers and social media. How have the two played into the other? Are we individualizing collective cultures where our media influences spreads? I’ve heard that Gen Z is more culturally alined with their generation around the world than they are with other generations in their own country because of the shared content they consume. Is social media creating a new culture outside of the geopolitical lines? Is this making us more connected to the world or more isolated?
This is a fantastic point, Jess. The individualism is not novel. How does an inherent individualistic culture and the physical isolation of social media feed into each other? Now that’s a great question.
I’ve just returned from a week-long trip to Honduras. From a very outsider view, I did not see the same level of addiction and device use that I do here. People had the technology, they just chose to use it far less. They were engaged with one another. I wonder how much of the American psyche has been primed for this isolation sickness and subsequent issues.
Jess,
I understand the frustration you feel toward the constant back-and-forth discussions regarding this topic. It seems like, on one hand, we’re told we need to embrace change, and on the other hand, there are legitimate concerns about the consequences of those changes. The constant noise can certainly lead to a sense of mental fatigue, as you mentioned. In your opinion, how do we coexist? How do we prevent that mental fatigue?
Jess,
I agree with you. Social media and AI have not improved people’s relationships with one another. Unfortunately, it is much easier to choose the RIGH or the LEFT and then scream at the other online about how wrong they are and how right we are. Do you think we would be more united if people met each other in person and talked through life together? What would today’s world look like without AI?