There is a principle I've heard from software engineers: "Your system is perfectly designed to produce whatever results you're getting." What is happening to or around you is no accident ... it's the natural consequence of the system you've created. If you don't like what's happening in your life, your church, or your society, remember that these things didn't "just happen." All the various aspects of that life, church, or
society are working together to produce those results.
Right now, most everyone I talk to is deeply dismayed -- and maybe genuinely frightened -- by what they are seeing in our society: extreme polarization, division, cynicism, and social unrest. The concern is that our upcoming political election will only make things worse.
I've been writing about this for some time now, and I've been saying
that our current environment of mass media (especially television and talk radio) and social media are a big part of the problem. They are an almost inescapable part of the fabric of our lives. They are how we understand and interact with the broader world. They are how we communicate with each other.
And, I believe, they are very bad for us. They are amplifying division, extremism, misinformation, and outrage. Under the guise of informing and connecting us, they are making us cynical, suspicious, alarmed, anxious, and often very angry.
Of course, you might respond: "don't shoot the messenger." You can't blame the media -- the events these media are bringing to us are creating those feelings. I grant that is true to some extent. But it masks the larger problem that the media diet in our society is making us crazy.
Yes, today we're "going there" again ... but this time I'm not asking you to listen to me. Instead, listen to some of our nation's top experts. Tristan Harris is one of the leading voices in silicon valley bigwig, and he is now talking (loudly!) about the dangers of social media. He's featured in a new Netflix documentary, and a couple interviews I want to share with you.
This is what Wikipedia has to say about Harris:
Tristan Harris is an American ethicist, computer scientist, and businessperson. He is the president and a co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology. Earlier, he worked as a design ethicist at Google. He received his degrees from Stanford, where he studied ethics of human persuasion.
If you like podcasts ...
Here is a very insightful interview with Tristan Harris about the film, and about social media. The interviewer is Sam Harris, and I need to emphasize two disclaimers, which I often have to emphasize whenever I recommend a source:
- First, I do not endorse Sam Harris. There are many things he says or writes that I disagree with. But he is very perceptive and well informed, and he's a great interviewer.
- Second, if you are a dogged Trump fan, or if you're on the far left, you will likely be triggered. Both sides come in for some criticism in this interview.
Some of what Harris offers is behind a paywall, but I think this one is free. If you can deal with my caveats, I strongly encourage you to listen to this interview:
If you like documentaries and have access to Netflix ...
I strongly recommend that you watch the movie "The Social Dilemma." Social media is too important of an aspect of our lives today for us to not give it some critical thought. The point of the film is not that we should do away with social media, but that we need to make it better. And in the meantime, we need to be wise about how we use it.
Here's a link to the official trailer for the film:
Since The Social Dilemma hit Netflix, social media users have been up in arms regarding the tech industry's intrusion on our everyday lives, especially in regard to mental health. The documentary follows Skyler Gisondo and Vincent Kartheiser as they point out the dangerous effects social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have on the average citizen. Current and former Silicon Valley bigwigs weigh in, including Tristan Harris, who gives one
of the scariest revelations to come from the film: "if you're not paying for the product, you are the product."
If you can't access the podcast or Netflix film, watch this interview ...
If you can't watch the movie, here's a way to get some of the information from it: The following interview was broadcast on PBS a few days ago. It was on the Amanpour show, and features Tristan Harris and Jeff Orlowski (the director of the film).
Traditional Media Should NOT Get a Pass Here ... They are Just as Problematic
The factors that Harris and others are point out that are so dangerous with social media are also present in our current media: There is relentless pressure to capture and keep our attention, in order to attract advertisers. We're in the attention economy in mass media as well as social media. So news programs are driven by desire to get eyeballs, not necessarily to get all the details right. Nuanced analysis is not nearly as entertaining as hyperbolic overstatements.
Okay, so what's the "medicine"? How do we deal with this onslought?
Rather than rehash that, and keep trying to be prescriptive, let me end by just offering several suggestions. These are things I am doing (always imperfectly!) ... and I'm finding that they are helping me:
1. Take time to connect to God before connecting to "the world" through news or social media. Take time to read scripture, pray, and get positive reminders before tuning into the Outrage Of The Day.
2. Don't use social media as an information source. At all. Don't read articles linked there. Don't read people's opinions about social issues or politics. I do what I need to do for church connections, see if any friends or family have any personal news, and then leave. (I would quit altogether if I could.) The key for me is to recognize that social media is rife with misinformation. There are plenty of other places to get information that I can trust.
3. Don't support propaganda media. This one might be controversial, but here goes: I won't read or watch anything on news outlets that are openly trying to advance one side of the political agenda. I studied journalism in college, and was taught about journalistic ethics, and an ideal of journalism that presents the facts and issues in an unbiased way. "Just tell the truth and let the reader decide."
Nobody ever gets it right all the time, and we all have our unconscious biases, but I have given up on those organizations that don't even try. In my opinion, they are no longer news, they are propaganda. In this category I include Fox "news" and much talk radio on the right, and MSNBC and CNN on the left. They both offer selective reporting, with helpful servings of outrage.
All of this comes out of the conviction that the things I allow into my life -- things I read and watch -- affect me deeply. It's me trying to live out the teaching of Proverbs 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." That's a good reminder, and a good way to end. :-)
