TEH 115: The Social Dilemma Dilemma From the Tech Side

In This Episode: Social Dilemma (of course they are targeting), it’s probably more boring than we think, and is there a way to create the right pressure on social media sites?

This week the TEH Podcast is hosted by Leo Notenboom, the “Chief Question Answerer” at Ask Leo!, and Gary Rosenzweig, the host and producer of MacMost, and mobile game developer at Clever Media.

(You’ll find longer Bios on the Hosts page.)

Top Stories

  • The Social Dilemma – The documentary itself actually uses many of the same techniques that Social Media uses… but that kind of proves the point.
    • The algorithm “wants” to keep you engaged.
    • Will this documentary create the right kind of pressure on social sites?
    • See on Internet Movie Database  –

Ain’t it Cool

  • Gary: The Survivalists (Game on Apple Arcade)
  • Leo: Armchair Expert podcast (Dax Shepard) – Bill Gates episode

BSP: Blatant Self-Promotion

6 Comments on “TEH 115: The Social Dilemma Dilemma From the Tech Side

  1. I think you guys have glossed over the very important message that they were trying to make. Young minds are being subjected to stuff that will possibly hurt them – especially when trying to get a job some day.

    Reply
    • My opinion that they kinda glossed it over, if it was that important a message to them. There was much more they could have done to that story line to focus on the effects on young minds that they apparently chose not to.

      Reply
  2. Have to agree with Jacobs & Notenboom. As to young minds being damaged … I seem to remember comic book outrage 5-6 decades ago. (Yeah, I’m that old.) Violent movies, Hollywood’s (frequent) twisted version of history … etc. Ads to small children for junk sugar confections might be one thing but I have a problem with the idea that an addiction to collecting “likes” (wanting to be popular) is an FB creation of the 21st century. As to Google tracking my every move & recording everything possible about me … well, there’s a privacy issue of some sort no doubt … but the price of free email & free this & that is putting up with irritating pop-ups. It’s YOUR choice.

    Reply
  3. I found your discussion of product vs customer very interesting. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but it gets complicated because we are in fact both, and it is a kind of loop. As we consume content, we become a product sold to advertisers. We consume advertising, we buy stuff and our habits become a product. We consume propaganda and our clicks become a product delivered back to generate even more garbage. And around it goes.

    Even those who never use a computer can end up in one of these loops. Use a credit card, they may sell your buying habits and suddenly you start getting offers in the mail. Take advantage of one and the offers start breeding in your mailbox.

    I may be a cynic about it, but I am convinced that even if you took advantage of every possible anonymous trick available they would still figure you out. The algorithms never sleep.

    Reply

Leave a Comment