Hijacking Brains

Sherry was an intelligent, loving and social girl. She was admired by everyone; always cheerful and happy playing with friends and making art pieces. Creative and enthusiastic. Charming and caring. One day in last winter holidays, everything suddenly changed. She has dropped all her hobbies. Everyone was unaware of the reason. Some predict as she might be taking drugs. Even her mother thinks that she might be suffering from any mental disease. Nobody knew what had happened to her. She was unrecognizable. She was actually hijacked by a strong thing – her iPhone. She was tied by the social media and its infinite power has turned her as an addict. Social media companies have deliberately designed their products to hack your brain so that people use to continue the usage of such technologies. They hire the best coders, designers and engineers to crack the logic and use several brain techniques and behavioural science to make their users engage to phones all the time. The only purpose of these applications that thrive in the economic market of the state is to induce our brains into a lifestyle that provides immediate satisfaction and, ultimately, exploits the weaknesses of our minds. Unfortunately, we are not achieving our goals and we have to worry about the long-term consequences of this habit in our society. Some studies have shown the damaging impact of social networks on mental health, anxiety and depression.

The globalized world in constant change has made us vulnerable to social connections. The primary principle of these companies is to create a ‘value’ based on our routine activities by monitoring the psychological behaviour, and covering it with the cover of an social value. This is nearly brain hijacking. Each publication (such as a tweet or a comment) predicts the social validity of the user. This intermittent variable compensation works like a slot machine, and is a key part of the play on our psychological vulnerability. Another hijacker used by the social platform is social reciprocity or tat-for-tat. The methodologies that these comapanies used are when someone sends you an image or message so you can feel an instant reaction to reply that. What we often see is the person stick to their mobile screens, experiencing a free fly in the social world, having immense fun in the form of ‘double-tapping hearts’ or ‘tapping like’ but, is this experience really free? Unfortunately, these applications aren’t free, these companies sell our information to advertisers, the more we are glued at our phone screens the more data they collect about us, and the more they can sell.

It can be clearly sir that our attention is their trade and our time is their profit. Without a doubt, we are at the forefront of this technological change. Each technology is characterized by a revolution in all forms of digital communications. We must not forget that these technological monopolies are here to make money. It is the only core of business and will do all that is necessary to maintain growth. Now is the time to demand a more ethical design and use of social media platforms as finally the data is ours.

 

References:

• https://tenplay.com.au/news/national/april-2017/how-social-mediagiants-are-hacking-our-brains
• https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-social-networking-sites-controlling-your-mind/

https://curiosity.com/topics/your-smartphone-is-designed-to-hack-your-brain-curiosity/

Prime motto – Hook Users

 

Social media is emerging as the modern addiction to the human’s life. Every social web company has made the users addicted. I wonder how these companies, producing bits of code and graphics displayed on a user screen, can seemingly control users’ minds! There are infinite distractions to catch our attention and keep us busy in their own applications. These companies get users to cue themselves to action by attaching their services to the users’ daily routines and emotions. These works on first-to-mind; when a person thinks that he is bored and suddenly Facebook comes to his mind; this is first-to mind strategy. More broadly, it’s all the Hook Model.

Triggers

They are considered as the spark plug of this model. It is basically actuator of behaviour. There are normally two types of triggers: internal and external. Habit-forming companies start with the external triggers such as email notification, or a link in the website, or an app on the phone. Continuing this process, the users are hooked up with the internal triggers which further attach to their behaviour or emotions. Gradually, internal triggers become part of the daily routine and ends up as the habit.

Action

Action is the next phase after triggers. Here the motivation of the user is raised which gives interest to the user in using more of such technologies. These actions are designed more appropriately by studying various behavioural science of human. This indirectly increases the usability of the website or application and the intended action is fulfilled.

Reward

The one that separates Hook model and the simple feedback loop model is the ability to create desires in the user. The predictable response will not entertain the most and fails to create the desire for that thing. For example, if the light of the fridge turns on whenever you open it; will not make you feel different but a variable output, but say a different treat magically comes when you open the fridge will make you more carving and eager to open the fridge. Variable timings of receiving reward are one of the most powerful tools that social media companies use to hook users to their products. By introducing variability, it multiplies the effect and creates a state of enthusiastic hunting and activates the parts related to desire.

Investment

In this phase, the users are asked to do some work. The investment generally includes user to contribute some mixture of time, data, effort, social capital, or money. This phase has a goal to hook the users in the continuing loop of internal triggers which led the social media companies to profitable results.

References:

• http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180118-how-much-is-too-much-time-on-social-media
• http://www.uversity.com/blog/the-hook-of-social-networks-and-social-media/
• https://medium.com/@jeffbullas/7-ways-facebook-keeps-you-addicted-and-how-to-apply-the-lessons-to-your-products-958a5d82cbec

What, why and who cares of how we tweet..!

 

In the age of social media, Twitter is one of the most used social network platforms to share the creative thoughts worldwide. It also comes under the category of micro-blogging services. Basically there are 3 steps to follow:

PLANNING

What do we tweet?

One should be clear in their mind about what to post through their tweets as it is an important factor. There should be news, announcements, facts and information or some nonsense (for fun/comedy). All one need is to find out the answer of question,”Is this worth to tweet?”It does not matter who started the account or who did it before. And it does not matter only because it is an account of any important profile. And it’s not important because your words are special. The tweets we provide are important because they are the end points of many people’s work and a starting point for many others.

WRITING

Content is the most important

One must be clear and concise in writing the content as it is very much important to convey the right message to the people who is reading the tweet. Not only the content but its representation in an impressive way is equally important.

Use familiar words that people know

One should avoid puns as it may not entertain every people who read your tweet. One should always use the understanding language which can be easily known irrespective to their educational background.

Use the words that make people happy

The words are the reflection of your imagination. One should try to share their ideas in such a way that people should agree it which lays a strong impact on their mind regarding you r personality. The words related to culture must be avoided as that might hurt some people whom you were unaware of.

Do the work

One should never use the first idea that comes in the mind. Roll the paper and try new thoughts every time. Spend some time in creating some interesting work and get opinions from the people.

Mainly: Don’t overthink

We are sometimes very much possessive regarding our image on the social media accounts. As a result, we reread it many times. Seriously, calm down, it’s just Twitter.

TWEETING

Check the time

Before you tweet, just check that is it an appropriate time to post this tweet!

Take responsibility

One just can’t walk off after tweeting. One should always be prepared to give the feedbacks and solve the confusion in case of the people are facing problem in understanding or accepting the tweet. The tone while tweeting should be conversational.

 

References:

• https://www.wired.com/2016/05/twitter-onboarding-tips-for-new-users/
• https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/12-most-effective-ways-to-engage-on-twitter/
• https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/social-networks/use-twitter-3534616/

Social Media- A Modern Addiction

How many “likes” are you earning a day? How many “followers” do you have? A race to be famous…

My friend…he was having an accident before an hour, broken his legs and had numerous fractures; seems not concerned about his health but his cell phone. He hungrily wants his phone back. Busy in watching the posts on Instagram and emerging into such fantasies. He now feels his existence as he was online. He might not believe but he was addicted to social media.

Never before have had the habits penetrated the unprecedented speed of the proliferation of social media around the world. Using the social media has been an inseparable part of our lives. Years ago, there were cigarettes, now it’s the fame on social media by getting “likes”. As the people are engaged with such stuff, much the data is uploaded and leaked, more the time is wasted. Same like in the gambling business, social media companies use intermittent variable compensation to hook their users.

I completely agree that social media has several benefits and advantages: from skill learning to skill showing, making contacts to making big companies and enterprises; only by using certain functionalities of social media and modern technology. But according to various experts, there is a major impact of social media on our mental health. “Everyone who has scrolled through Facebook knows how, instead of imparting wisdom, the system dishes out compulsive stuff that tends to reinforce people’s biases” has been stated in The Economist with their issue “Social media’s threat to democracy”.

One does not exist until it is recognized in social networks. The evidence is clearly in front of our eyes – like not leaving a phone while doing any damn easy thing. People are now decreasing the use of their minds and are moving further to be dependent on machines; which are remarkably increased after the introduction to the field of Artificial Intelligence. Although every technology has its pros and cons, one is here to use it in some better deeds. Nowadays, it is acting least as media for news but has more dumps of images and information that is not much relevant and reflects the stupidity of one’s thought.

I just wonder; would there be special seats for social media addicts in a movie theater or on the bus? Does large consumption of social media cause social cancer?

Twitter: Social Media … A Modern Addiction

Facebook: Social Media … A Modern Addiction