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Social media is such a problem in Western nations, has sapped our attention and divided us so immensely, that I honestly wish we would also regulate and crack d

Social media is such a problem in Western nations, has sapped our attention and divided us so immensely, that I honestly wish we would also regulate and crack down on it. Not because we don’t want people to learn about what’s happening in the world, but because what we see unfolding right now makes crystal clear the stakes of Western weakness and division. We have been fighting each other on Twitter and Facebook while the world goes to hell. Enough!

PragmaticPulp 5y ago
> I honestly wish we would also regulate and crack down on it It's mind boggling to read HN comments advocating for restricting people's free access to internet discourse. (Reminder that Hacker News is social media, too) Even a few years ago the idea of anyone in the tech world advocating for regulations or "crack downs" on letting people freely communicate on the internet would be unthinkable.
- adriand 5y ago
  I have no issue with free access to Internet discourse! In fact, I wish we had more free access to Internet discourse. What I object to is the commodification of attention, the deployment of sophisticated algorithms intended to drive clicks/views (and thus promote the most divisive and controversial viewpoints), pervasive surveillance, and so on. I don't think regulating these facets of our present-day technology, which are driven by profit motives, not by the desire of ordinary people to speak to one another, is at all incompatible with a free and open Internet.
  - PragmaticPulp 5y ago
    > What I object to is the commodification of attention, What exactly would you regulate or "crack down" on? People are free to choose what websites they visit. This idea that evil social media companies have used technology to force people to view content they don't want to see has gotten out of hand. > the deployment of sophisticated algorithms Again, what exactly would you regulate away? Ban websites from showing related content? Ban Facebook from showing you things your friends are interested in? Ban Netflix from showing you shows you may like based on your previous viewings? Would you ban Hacker News' algorithm that determines which posts are shown on the front page? Just force everything to be un-algorithmic and chronologically ordered like the new page and hope for the best?
    - adriand 5y ago
      Which do you believe, that there is no problem, or that there is no solution to it? I believe there is a problem, and I also believe it is possible to solve it in a way that upholds democratic values. If you don’t think there is a problem, then we see things very differently, and we’re not likely to agree. But if you agree there is a problem, why not advocate for a solution?
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

PragmaticPulp 5y ago

> I honestly wish we would also regulate and crack down on it It's mind boggling to read HN comments advocating for restricting people's free access to internet discourse. (Reminder that Hacker News is social media, too) Even a few years ago the idea of anyone in the tech world advocating for regulations or "crack downs" on letting people freely communicate on the internet would be unthinkable.

adriand 5y ago
I have no issue with free access to Internet discourse! In fact, I wish we had more free access to Internet discourse. What I object to is the commodification of attention, the deployment of sophisticated algorithms intended to drive clicks/views (and thus promote the most divisive and controversial viewpoints), pervasive surveillance, and so on. I don't think regulating these facets of our present-day technology, which are driven by profit motives, not by the desire of ordinary people to speak to one another, is at all incompatible with a free and open Internet.
- PragmaticPulp 5y ago
  > What I object to is the commodification of attention, What exactly would you regulate or "crack down" on? People are free to choose what websites they visit. This idea that evil social media companies have used technology to force people to view content they don't want to see has gotten out of hand. > the deployment of sophisticated algorithms Again, what exactly would you regulate away? Ban websites from showing related content? Ban Facebook from showing you things your friends are interested in? Ban Netflix from showing you shows you may like based on your previous viewings? Would you ban Hacker News' algorithm that determines which posts are shown on the front page? Just force everything to be un-algorithmic and chronologically ordered like the new page and hope for the best?
  - adriand 5y ago
    Which do you believe, that there is no problem, or that there is no solution to it? I believe there is a problem, and I also believe it is possible to solve it in a way that upholds democratic values. If you don’t think there is a problem, then we see things very differently, and we’re not likely to agree. But if you agree there is a problem, why not advocate for a solution?
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]