Tech addiction runs deeper than social media
Concern about the “addictive” nature of online services is hardly new, but as the internet becomes ever more deeply embedded in our lives it continues to rise up the political agenda: the European Parliament voted this week, calling on the Commission to outlaw “harmful” online practices such as infinite scroll, default auto play, constant push notifications and read receipts.
Ireland-South MEP Sean Kelly was among those who lent his support to the motion, later saying:“It [is] clear that the Commission should assess regulatory gaps in existing directives. This is particularly important when you consider the impact of digital addiction on children’s health”.
Whether or not this is a matter that demands the full force of the machinery of state, there is no doubt that Internet companies have long relied on design tricks to keep users engaged with them and their platforms.
To give just one example, US share trading application Robinhood once had a feature where buying shares triggered an animation of coloured confetti in celebration, only removing the feature in 2021 in the face of growing scrutiny from politicians.
Facebook, meanwhile, is the ne plus ultra of addictive design. As far back as 2017, former executive Sean Parker claimed it was designed around “exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology”, arguing it had real consequences in politics and social life, not to mention human psychology. Even if Parker was grinding an axe he is hardly alone in being wary of the social network. Reports from 2021 and 2023 indicate that management up to chief executive Mark Zuckerberg had been warned of its potential for compulsive use.
Looked at in a certain light, smartphones resemble nothing so much as fruit machines: a blaze of colour and sound intended to grab our attention at all times – and at any cost. But what is worse than companies attempting to suck money out of our wallets with beeps and bleeps is when apparently serious people suggest that the solution to the problem is more of the same.
Most of us agree that despite its potential for inculcating pluralism, the Internet has had a deleterious effect on political discourse. While many are happy to grouse about the rise of online extremism, few seem to have connected this to the game-like nature of online sniping: zero-sum and with engagement, regardless of whether it is negative or positive, functioning as a kind of social validation feedback loop.
Worse still, academics, management consultants, think-tanks and other interested parties continue to push for greater ‘gamification’ of social life, claiming it would raise the level of engagement.
Perhaps it would, but it would also be a disaster for democracy. Gamification goes hand-in-hand with infantilisation, so it is particularly distressing that governments would seek to cast people in the role of players or users rather than citizens.
Touted even as a remedy for low turnout at elections, gamification not only lets politicians off the hook for their failings, it also flatters our descent into mindless and reflexive pseudo-action.
Life is not Super Mario Bros and we do not live in the Mushroom Kingdom. Frankly, gamification isn’t appropriate for motor tax renewals, never mind formal acts of democracy. It is long past time that we stood up and said no to the army of tech-addicted business executives, consultants and politicians who mistakenly think that political problems have technical solutions.
Subscribers 0
Fans 0
Followers 0
Followers