Ask HN: What's the biggest problem with social networks today?

2 pointsdevchris105y ago3 comments

I'm curious about differentiating between causes and symptoms. Seems like a complicated mix of privacy, increasing polarization, centralization/decentralization, ad incentives, just to name a few.

3 comments

derrick_jensen5y ago

Companies exist to maximize some measure, and maximizing "social" isn't inherently a good thing. All the nonsense that happens on social media is the same as what happens in real life, but you can't monetize/optimize the real world in the same way.

cloudking5y ago

Echo chambers - algorithms are optimized to show you more content related to your personal beliefs and interests. Then monetizes ads related based on your beliefs and interests.

chrismatheson5y ago

I would agree that most recommendation engines are as you described. However, my conclusion was that this is a product of people.

Ad revenue increases with time spent on the site. So the goal is to get people to spend more time, if people genuinely wanted to engage with others of differing beliefs, or be show content outside of their obvious interests, then it would make sense to do this in order to increase the magic “engagement” numbers?

So the fact that it’s not happening suggests to me at least that most people are quite happy in their echo chamber?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this line of semi logic pseudo phycology ;)

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