3 ms·
You know, capitalist food producers don't need to be evil. All they need do is keep tuning their food, and a blind process of optimization will lead to addictiv
by barrkel 8y ago
You know, capitalist food producers don't need to be evil. All they need do is keep tuning their food, and a blind process of optimization will lead to addictive foods that people eat until they're obese, because that's what maximizes profits for the food industry.
It's not much different for Facebook. A blind process of engagement and relevance optimization leads to a more addictive product that steals more and more of your attention.
It's also not much different for Google. A blind process of information gathering leads to a more privacy violating product.
Different companies have different optimization processes depending on their business models, and they don't need to be made out of evil or have malevolent intent to end up having (potentially) evil outcomes.
- Maro 8y agoPeople are in charge of their own diet. People are in charge of their own time, how they spend it, on the Internet or offline. Blaming big corporations and capitalism is a sorry excuse for making bad decisions.
- ovi256 8y agoGiven the FDA and similar regulators exist, that's patently false.
- eseehausen 8y agoAlso given the (hundreds of) billions of advertising dollars spent on shaping consumer tastes/desires when it comes to food.
- rahoulb 8y agoIf people had perfect information and were rational.
- usepgp 8y agoAnd the people will collectively vote for representatives who hand smack downs to these companies.
- drb91 8y agoRight, which is why as a society we’re fine with drug dealers—it’s the users who are obviously intentionally ruining their own lives. Out of choice.