{"id":8671,"date":"2024-02-07T19:36:37","date_gmt":"2024-02-07T19:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markwilson.co.uk\/blog\/?p=8671"},"modified":"2024-02-07T19:36:38","modified_gmt":"2024-02-07T19:36:38","slug":"anti-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markwilson.co.uk\/blog\/2024\/02\/anti-social-media.htm","title":{"rendered":"Anti-social media"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’ve slowly been catching up Professor Hannah Fry<\/a>‘s Secret Genius of Modern Life<\/a> series. Summing up the episode on virtual assistants<\/a>, Prof Hannah says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201c[…] it\u2019s the technology that leads the way it\u2019s and only later society asks the question of whether it\u2019s something that we really want in our lives. And that I think is a trend that we\u2019re going to have to deal with a lot more in future\u201d<\/p>\nProfessor Hannah Fry, The Secret Genius of Modern Life: S1E3 Virtual Assistants<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This, very astute, observation is a concern. Virtual assistants are a branch of the technology field known as artificial intelligence. But they’re not the only examples of technology created without consideration for their impact on society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As created, technology is neither good, nor bad. Whether it becomes one of those things is about the way we use it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All too often, we invent something and then work out how to use it. And all to often, the techies decide the way, with society left to mop up the issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media is one such example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social networks come of age<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This week, Facebook turned 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facebook is 20 years old today. A bit of software, created by young students in a college dorm, which changed society. There's a generation now that has only ever known life with social media. At its best, it brings people together. At its worst, it destroys them.<\/p>— Zoe Kleinman (@zsk) February 4, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>