Context shapes behavior in a shameful way, to the extent that we usually fool ourselves into the idea of a conscious will behind every stupid choice; because it is hard to assume that we bough a magazine due to the girl in the cover, yet it would be harder to admit that once we saw her we were deprived of any willpower.
Among all the energy-saving daemons our brain executes, looking like idiots while downloading some of the products we just bough seems to be the aftermath of one of them. The reasoning after such a shame is to admit you will never lie with her and go with your real partner, and then move on.
Let’s move on then. Let’s go into social networks, where you may think to be safe from Divine Intervention. Such places look like interactive and playful scenarios, but in practice they are iterative grounds that extract data about who you are and make money selling it. They set the path so you go trough it, over and over again, like a resurrected cow.
«Share» is the word. «Share» becomes the mantra. «Share» means everything. Whatever you do, you share, even if it is just your breakfast. Here is the magic, here is social networks’ hook for you.
Fist, they make you take part. Second, they make you wait. Third, they give you a bit more of the same. And repeat.
First, Facebook asks you «What are you thinking?» so you say it. Second, you press the share button and do nothing. Third, you get the emotional gratification of a Like. And repeat.
Social networks regard themselves as platforms that connect and enhance our human experience. Nevertheless, they just connect data pools and share some information with requesters and third parties. In humanistic terms, they disconnect people every time they avoid a face-to-face conversation. In the same way, they give the chance to take part in an interactive environment, but disregard so many faces of human life and experience that they greatly limit our outcomes —a social network will not invite you to walk in the forest, deprived of any gadget.
I do not think we should straightly cut with social networks, but limit the deepness of the content we put on them. For social affairs, it seems legitimate to take part as long as we are still able to guarantee the intimacy of those who do not want to take part; contrary, if the content it is just for ourselves it sounds smarter to and more civilian to keep it yourself in a safe place. Whatever we depict in the future, we may consider to educate our children on the boundaries of technologies, despite we depict a boundary-less future.