The great social conspiracy.
Photo by Ravi Sharma on Unsplash
“How in the world could they even believe that? Don’t they know the facts?”
We see it more and more each day. Someone you know, who is a seemingly intelligent person sends you a social media post that raises all kinds of alarm bells in your head. Why would they send it? Surely they don’t actually believe it, right? Right?
Well, the hard truth is that, yes — they probably do believe it. But there may be an explanation for this, and it may help us to understand better the unique times we live in. To get to this explanation we need to go to the intersection of social media, conspiracy theory, and Plato. Come with me and let’s see what we find.
Many of us have watched the outstanding documentary on Netflix, The Social Dilemma. It is fascinating and alarming. We see the inner working of the social media industry in Silicon Valley. What was surprising to me is how much power the industry gives to the algorithms that are the driving force behind the platforms we have come to know and love so much.
I understood already the product of social media. It is selling my views to advertisers. My interests, my clicks, likes, demographics, searches, and comments all get fed into the giant blender called the algorithm — and out comes a profile which can then be sold to advertisers who want to target someone like me. Try shopping for a microwave online. See what pops up in your Facebook ads — it’s a microwave. Not a big surprise.
What was fascinating to me was the idea that the big algorithm is not looking to match my likes to something that will satisfy me. Nope. It is looking to feed me a “Rabbit Hole” that I will chase down for as long as possible. Makes sense, right? If I got my answers, then I’d be off my phone. But if I am constantly chasing the rabbit down the hole, then I drive up the number of views, clicks, links, and sales for the advertisers.
Side bar here — I also teach Advertising. This is exactly what I tell my students we are looking for — a way to pinpoint target our audience. No need to buy a billboard, just narrow down your parameters in Facebook and you’ve hit exactly who you were aiming for. That is powerful and unique to the industry (not simply Facebook, but the entire social media complex). We have never had this ability before, and I am sure it is not going away anytime soon. So this is a new paradigm for all of us.
Okay, so the algorithm is giving me something I like, or that it predicts will capture my attention. Now, I am from Roswell, NM. Yes. Actually from Roswell. So — imagine that one of my “likes” is the annual UFO Festival (you really should go).
“Since he likes that,” the algorithm posits, “he may be interested in the idea of a Flat Earth.”
And so the Flat Earth society — as absurd as it may sound — begins to get more and more space on my social media feeds. I begin to read some of the (really silly) articles. Occasionally one will catch my eye (did I read that right?). Eventually, I reach a tipping point (hey, what exactly is the government hiding from us?), and now I am down the hole.
Put it into this context, and suddenly the thought that someone might actually believe in a flat Earth becomes possible. Even plausible. Scary.
I don’t know if the people at Facebook or any social media ever noticed the thread “Flat Earth” popping up on more and more pages, but I am certain the algorithm noticed. And it must have reached a self sustaining level, so now it is a “thing”.
Okay, so perhaps Flat Earth and PizzaGate have some explaining to do in terms of being believable (or not). But look closer. Did you notice that Social Media and Google are feeding you exactly what they want you to see? What implications does that have if we all see different “facts” about something? How can I be sure my “facts” are the real ones?
Before we go there, let me get back to Flat Earth and various conspiries. Why do we like conspiracies? Simply put, they give us an explanation. For what? For everything. Ever notice that conspiracies only grow — they never shrink. So the logic is, “If X is trying to fool me, then Y and Z must also be in on it to make it work.”
No need to be bothered by the facts. If instead I can wrap it up in a conspiracy, then it all makes sense. I can build a worldview based on that. And now notice — the “facts” which I see before me on my screen reflect this new worldview. Plus, since I am able to filter out my sources with ease, I am only going to view the sources which also mirror that worldview. Any other “facts” are simply part of the cover up.
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave tells of four men who have only lived in a cave all their lives. They see shadows on the wall, and assume that what they are seeing is real. They never realize that those are simply shadows. (I will let you read the rest of the story, it is great!)
How much of what the algorithm is feeding to me is shadow? It makes little difference to a computer. All it knows is that it wants me to stay online chasing rabbits. And if we all are operating on a different set of “facts/shadows” then of course we are going to see things differently. Safe in my media silo I resist any outside influence which may cause dissonance in my mind. I seek to find reinforcement, and the algorithm is happy to provide it.
So what is the answer? Hmmm. That is tough. As a media person, I will tell you that you should seek out news from both sides of any issue. Don’t be fooled into thinking that all the news is fake. It is not — that is just part of my comforting conspiracy worldview. Know that there are smart and good people on both sides of any issue. But approach carefully, because they too live in a silo. They too follow an algorithm.
In short — be open minded. Let’s put down the phone, and talk to each other.
It’s worth a shot.
