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In terms of numbers, there aren’t that many SV companies that exploit kids via insecurities and screen addiction. But I don’t doubt their impact.
by azinman2 2y ago
In terms of numbers, there aren’t that many SV companies that exploit kids via insecurities and screen addiction. But I don’t doubt their impact.
- drawkward 2y agoI am not sure what your subtext here is. Are you saying it doesnt matter as much because there are fewer SV companies?
- azinman2 2y ago“But they ended up exactly the same. Helping the worst regimes, all-in in military complex, taking advantage of screen addiction and teen insecurities.” This implies all. I then said I don’t doubt their impact. They’re not all like this is my point.
- drawkward 2y agoThank you for clarifying.
- mjlawson 2y agoMy take is that maybe we shouldn't paint all of SV with the same brush. Not every SV company is Philip Morris.
- drawkward 2y agoRight, only the ones that touch all of humanity are Philip Morris!
- linguae 2y agoYou are right; there are still many good people and companies in Silicon Valley. Unfortunately the Philip Morrises of Silicon Valley have outsized influence since they control major social media platforms, Web infrastructure and standards, advertising networks, cloud computing platforms, and other essential tech infrastructure. Locally, they are also large employers in the Bay Area, and due to the housing crunch it is very difficult for non-“Philip Morris” workers, even in tech, to compete for housing (not every software engineer makes $200k+ in salary and gets RSU grants), which is pushing some of them out the Valley, helping make the Valley even more of a “Philip Morris” shop.
- mistercheph 2y agoBut all of them would kill for Philip Morris levels of product-market fit.
- plussed_reader 2y agoMaybe you shouldn't demonize all of SV, and it's the one working against your self interest? I admit that's a large ask for a consumer, to keep track of a larger organizations abusing you.
- csomar 2y agoThe ones that do are so huge that the number of companies doesn't matter. Facebook market cap is 1.5 Trillion and has $150bn of revenue every year. That's more than many countries around the world. (and I am comparing revenues to GDP).
- azinman2 2y ago“I don’t doubt the impact”
- avisser 2y agoSure, but you led with something that implied the opposite. Were I your editor, I'd've struck it.
- azinman2 2y agoI don’t think it’s misleading. SV isn’t the sum of Meta, YouTube, and TikTok (which isn’t even SV despite some roles here) - even if those companies impacts are outsized. The article explicits calls out things like AI; Anthropic and OpenAI are nowhere near like those others. And that’s just one category. I would hope a YCombinator news site of all places would see that.