The Social Dilemma — How not to be “the product”

The documentary recently released by Netflix “The Social Dilemma” starts with the quote by Sophocles:

Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse.

If you have not watched the documentary yet, it's about time you do. It follows a series of interviews with tech experts who sound the alarm on the dangerous human impact of social networking today. If you are someone who is very much concerned about the social media addiction you or your loved one has, it's highly recommended to watch the documentary. It explains how the tech giants today can mostly know more about you than you are willing to let them. Today, social media is vast and way more than we think it is. However, this post is not about the documentary itself but the issue and questions it raises about our vulnerability and privacy in this constantly-connected lifestyle we live today and how we can get a hold of it.

It is very much essential today to keep our online presence in check and this post is mostly going to talk about how you could reduce the always stay connected notion in todays world of social media and internet connected smart phones.

Following are some tips to reduce your addiction and maintain a healthy digital lifestyle. We will try to concentrate on three aspects:

• Privacy
• Social anxiety
• Security

Let's get started,

Google Search / Search engine choice

Today, Google has the best search engine out there. period. But they are also one of the largest data aggregators. Why? because they want to “help” you by showing you “personalized” search results and targeted ads.

How are they doing that? It's all because of your search queries. Everything you search over google is recorded and creates a virtual model of you. They understand you better than you understand yourself. They understand your interests and the things you need even before you know them. Sometimes it is so good that it has an answer to a question which you hadn't even asked! Helpful isn't it? Wrong! this is the cause of concern. Would you like a person, who you have no information about, but knows the following about you: What do you like? what do you do? How do you spend your time? what do you watch online? Who do you talk to every day? Who do you like, and most importantly, who do you dislike? When do you sleep? when you wake up? where do you work? where you eat! and the questions can go on and on and on….

Although Google search itself is not a social media, it's still a major privacy concern. As of today, if you are an avid google search user or a user of Google products on the web or mobile then google probably knows everything about your online activities. Including how long you look at a picture in the search results! Imagine that! you are looking at a picture which you admire and someone knows about it or is watching you look at it! in real-time! And let me just remind you that it's not just Google, but all the major search engines who follow this pattern.

So what can you do? Here are some things that you can do:

1. Use a privacy-centric search engine like the DuckDuckGo more often: DuckDuckGo is an internet search engine that emphasizes protecting searchers’ privacy and avoiding the filter bubble of personalized search results. Here is their wiki link. This is available both for desktops/laptops and also on mobile. I understand that we cannot entirely replace Google with a different search engine overnight. However, we can reduce the usage by using the alternatives for non-essential searches and when privacy is in mind. Give it a shot and see for yourself.

DuckDuckGo homepage

2. Remove the default Google Search widget from your mobile home screen. Replace it with something else which respects your privacy.

Sample image of the Google search widget on Android

You might think how does this change anything? Well, it does, a lot more than you think.

Imagine that you are on the go, away from your laptop and you need some quick information, you take out your phone and type in the search widget instead of opening the browser and looking for information elsewhere. That's the main reason why this widget exists, to make you use Google Search more often. Replace this with something else. Like the widget, which can change the search engine. You could also use the widget that comes with the DuckDuckGo app.

The idea is to reduce your dependency on a non privacy centic search engine and avoiding the personalized search result experience. Avoid that and you are good to go!

Social Networking and Media

Today, social networks and media play a huge role in our daily lives and our reliance on these mediums to get our daily dose of dopamine is huge. Don't understand what I mean by that? here, read this.

These networks and infinite scroll news media apps play a big role today in our life and we use them to get our news, stay connected with our family and friends, and feel happy. People have been using Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram to share everything about their life with the world. YouTube and the recent sensation, TikTok brought in the concept of vlogging and people have a new idea about “how to live your life and influence people”. Although I have nothing against this, it is really important to understand the impact this has on society and the upcoming generations. Being constantly connected on Twitter and my personal favourite, Reddit to get updates on what is happening around the world in one click is all great, but the stress and anxiety it induces on a person cannot be ignored. And the ever-changing and ever-improving AI algorithms these tech giants have is something to be concerned about. These are the algorithms that are specifically designed to keep you involved and addicted to the said apps. Don't believe me? read this.

So what can you do about it? Here are some steps I have personally taken up to reduce my usage of these services.

1. Uninstall the social networking apps. The best thing to rid your life of this anxiety is to uninstall them from your life( Err.. phone). I have personally uninstalled Facebook from my phone since the beginning for a very different reason (which was to save my mobile phone RAM and battery) however that turned out to be the best decision I have ever made. Today I would highly recommend anyone to uninstall Facebook and any social media apps from their phone. If your phone comes with the app pre-installed, you could try and disable it.
2. Limit yourself to using them only on a desktop computer and not on a mobile device. Having them on a mobile device gives you easy access to them hence increasing your usage. Discipline yourself to use them only on a laptop PC and not on your mobile phone.
3. Remove them from your home screen. If you are someone who cannot uninstall them from your phone, you could at least try removing them from your home screen. This might seem small and irrelevant, however, this has been a proven method to have a major impact on your daily use of these apps. Humans are lazy animals, so the more work you need to do to access these apps, the less you will want to use them.
4. Apply daily usage limits on the apps. Again, if you can't uninstall the app, you could at least limit the time you spend on each app. Use Digital detox tools like Android’s Digital Wellbeing or ActionDash to apply limits on daily usage. Apple has similar built-in tools as well for the iPhone and iPad. I have personally tried this and can vouch that it works. My daily Twitter and Reddit usage has come down to 8 mins every day. Here is a detailed step-by-step guide on setting this up on android devices.
5. Turn off notifications for these apps. Today you can turn off notifications from specific apps. The fewer notifications you receive, the lesser you will open the app.

PCMAG has a lot more tips and tricks you could try as well. Where there is a will, there is a way! You can do it, my friend!

Always remember, If something is free, you are the product or you pay with your freedom.

Use privacy and security-centric platforms

Today, we get a lot of these products for free but remember, nothing is free. You are either paying with your freedom OR you are the product sold to someone else. Don't understand what I mean by that? read this.

We have a lot many products and free services available today that promise to make our life easy. However, it’s not that simple. Ask yourself this, would you create something and just give it up for free? when it comes to services with the likes of Facebook and Google, you have become the product and your data is what sells like hot cake. The underlying algorithm understands its users(you) to send out targeted ads which are bought by other brands/businesses and that’s how these platforms make money. You are the product that makes money for them. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not as evil as it sounds, but it still is what it is. Now you might say that you are not a social media user and you won’t be using Google anymore and it won't affect you as much. Well, that may be partially correct but if you are someone who uses devices like smart speakers and assistant apps, you are still at risk. Data aggregation happens in more ways than we can think of and sometimes it is for more sinister purposes than just showing targeted ads.

There are ways to avoid this though,

1. Stop using smart devices like smart speakers all the time. I highly recommend not using them at all. Smart devices like the speakers may be helping you to turn off that bathroom light for you while you are in your cosy bed, just remember, it's always listening! how else would it react to your cry for help (err.. Alexa! turn off bathroom lights)? If they listen, they know what you are talking about on your phone, or to your partner. They know you like that new TV series released on Netflix and the next instant, there is an ad on your phone with the very trailer asking you to sign up for that “free” trial! Holy ****ing Shit!. And no technology platform is hack proof, so imagine someone hacks into these speakers and listens to all your conversations and your plans. That would be bad, wouldn’t it?
2. Use open-source web browsers from trusted publishers. I highly recommend you use open-source browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Chromium. Browsers are what we use to surf the web and it's the entry point. Make sure your browser is always up to date and avoid installing unnecessary extensions/add-ons.
3. Block Ads and Trackers. Websites these days come with all sorts of Ads ranging from popup ads to banners. The sites also track your activities to provide you with a more personalized ad experience. It is recommended to avoid this to be more secure while browsing the web. Here is an excellent article on how you could block ads and trackers on the Mozilla Firefox browser.
4. Install apps from trusted sources and trusted publishers. Although all the issues discussed above are mostly dealing with your social presence, there are many other sinister reasons why people might be stealing your information. Reasons beyond just targeted ads. These could even be a threat to your financial independence or even to your safety. Always follow local authority regulations when it comes to installing and using apps. Do not install apps that have been banned from use. Always install apps from the trusted application store (Google Play for Android and AppStore for Apple). Do not share information with unknown people via emails or messages, especially not financial information. Bad parties are always on the Phishing attack spree. Always stay aware and vigilant and tell your loved ones the same.
5. Now if you want to desert Google from your android phone, you could also install a custom ROM on your phone. This is an extreme step however, this could be done and your phone has only the necessary apps of your choice and most alternatives. A custom ROM is usually open-source, which means you can read (if you understand) the code that is written to build that ROM. I have written a step-by-step guide to installing a custom ROM on an android device however this varies with the device and its manufacturer and is an advanced step. Be careful.
6. Stay safe, by doing more. Take a look at the article published here on device privacy and refer here for safe online browsing.

Conclusion

I would recommend you analyze your daily usage of the services mentioned above and figure out a plan for yourself. The solutions discussed above are more of a guide. However, sheer will and discipline are what is required. Drop your phone now and then and read a book. It helps.

Use the product, don’t be the product

I would also recommend you to watch the documentary “The Social Dilemma” to get a fair understanding of the impact of these services in our life.

Stay safe my friends! and remember, use the product, don't be one.