My Dilemma with ‘The Social Dilemma’

by Sabeeta Bidasie Singh

The “Social Dilemma” was a documentary released on Netflix a few months ago and is possibly one of the most talked-about subjects right now. It has shown us how our data is being used to manipulate our psychology. Is this morally wrong? Or Is it the price we pay to stay relevant in a connected world?

What bothered me most after watching that documentary was that the same guys who built the “beast” were trying to take down the “beast.” The documentary spends most of the 90 minutes interviewing Silicon Valley’s “finest,” major techies who worked at Google, Instagram, and Facebook, who are now trying to ignite a conscious movement on privacy invasion. The naysayer in me starts to wonder why they are setting off an alarm on something they brought to market and, more importantly — why now? These disclosures, which are probably against the non-disclosure agreements by those interviewed, have several social media consumers rethinking their usage of social media and for those totally brainwashed by the documentary going as far as deleting their social media accounts. At a glance, Facebook and Instagram seem to be the two most affected by the documentary, with Google and their ability to capture analytics not too far behind.

Mid-way through the documentary, I began digging deep as a consumer of every social media platform on the market. Here is my take on this; I agree that the documentary does raise some valid points, but how different is the marketing behind these social media companies from traditional marketing techniques that involve direct marketing and network marketing. It is certainly not much different.

Having been a Chartered Marketer and Professor of Marketing for over 15 years, I can say that data is consumed in every marketing decision. Before we had the luxury of Google analytics, data was extrapolated through a number of market research activities that included collecting and storing consumer’s data to convert to information that would assist companies in its market positioning. Many service market research companies’ fees existed in the marketplace long before social media offered data analytics for business decision-making, so collecting consumer’s data is not new.

Those interviewed focused a lot on the brainwashing of social media, however, this isn’t exactly what this documentary is doing.

(The Social Dilemma)

Secondly, I have been an expatriate over the last 15 years and have lived in multiple continents. One of the tools that kept me connected was Facebook. I will forever be grateful for this gift that Mark Zuckerberg gave to the world. Do you have any idea how much money I have saved on international calls using Facebook’s messenger tools and calling features? I can go further to talk about how involved my family and friends overseas felt when I did a live video, and they were able to stream it in real-time that brought a sense of “being there” to them.

It also seems that we forget the most crucial role that social media has played throughout this 2020 pandemic. Social media distracted us from the pains of reality; it gave us a voice to raise contentious issues; it allowed access to real-world events. Not to mention the sense of oneness we as citizens of the world enjoyed as we continue to rally through the trials of a pandemic that tried to separate and disconnect our world — but social media defeated the intent of that virus and kept us connected.

Lest we forget the good that social media has done for us, please do not go rushing to make a hasty decision by the opinion of a what appears to be a self-centered documentary with ulterior motives yet unknown. Those interviewed focused a lot on the brainwashing of social media; however, isn’t this exactly what this documentary is doing – creating doubt in users’ minds.

I laughed when I saw the part about social media creating addictions as I question how different this addiction is from other habits. We are exposed to gambling advertisements, cigarette commercials, and even those POP display shelves at the stores that have cigarettes right there in the front of the consumer to bring to the top of mind awareness stimulating a purchase. Yet, social media is the problem?

Gen Z and the millennials are big consumers of social media. As we prepare for the GIG economy, we must understand that the users of these tools are fully prepared to work around the costs of accessing the luxury of the facility. Economics has taught us “there is no such thing as a free lunch” so what’s the deal with social media consumption. My take is to educate yourself on the pros and cons to make the most informed decision on how to use the services that bring you the greatest reward.

You can follow Sabeeta on Twitter @sabeeta1009.