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> The outrage machine is fueled by advertising, right? The purpose of purchaing advertising is to increase sales of the advertised product or service. How doe
by vonmoltke 6y ago
> The outrage machine is fueled by advertising, right?
The purpose of purchaing advertising is to increase sales of the advertised product or service. How does the "outrage machine" lead to increased sales of the products or services being advertised? Do you think many people are actually buying products through advertisements posted in, say, Trump vs. AOC flamewars?
- andrew_ 6y agoThe "outrage machine" in this instance keeps the eyeballs on the page, which display the ads, which ties into the psychology of advertising. e.g. people remember advertising, even if they aren't consciously aware of it.
- specialist 6y agoExactly. And are the advertisers happy? Who has the (most) power in the social media ecosystem? Certainly not the advertisers. Today, the power balance has shifted to the aggregators (h/t Stratechery) and the trolls. Here's a loaded question that might help explain the new power dynamic: Who are the current targets of dissastified customers? During broadcast era (the time of Manufacturing Consent), people boycotted advertisers and brands. Today, people boycott the aggregators (FAANG) and influencers (aka cancel culture). Take it one step further. Let's call manipulating the algorithm "trolling" (for lack of a better term). What leverage does anyone have over the trolls? I find it very weird, a la roshambo, that there are no effective checks on their power. As in, how does one protest or boycott a troll farm? Even the aggregators struggle to check the trolls.