Are Social media Platforms Connecting or Exploiting Users?

Are Social media Platforms Connecting or Exploiting Users?

Take a quick glance around the inhabitants of any modern city and you will see an uncountable number of people with hunched shoulders, completely consumed by their smart devices, tablets, and digital assistants. Technology critics often go as far as describing smartphones and their plethora of apps as leading people to become completely disconnected from the same species organisms standing right next to them, all the while searching for meaning and acceptance from some unknown, unseen entity in a digital realm far removed  from the true corporeal forms standing right next to them. The world and its inhabitants are run by technology, even though we have been convinced that life, communication, relations and existence itself should be enhanced by the capacity of technology.

Beyond these cursory observations, there is an increasing number of research reports arriving at the same conclusion. A recent study of a million teens in the U.S revealed a correlation between the amount of time teens spend on their TV, mobile phone and computer screens and how unhappy they were. The occurrence of teens who spent more than 5 hours daily on screens being unhappy was twice that of teens who spent less than an hour on screens.

Similarly, in a 2015 experiment held in Denmark, out of the 1,095 participants, those who laid off facebook for a week experienced improvements in life satisfaction and had more positive emotions. On the other hand, the control group (participants who continued to use Facebook) did not gain such benefits. More data gathered from the same study indicated that the positive effects of taking a break from Facebook were more obvious for heavy users, passive users and those often overwhelmed with envy as a result of using Facebook.

The Exploitation stems from the Business model of Social media platforms

From the above, it is clear that social media platforms are not connecting users as they profess. A look at the business models of social media giants reveals the same information. A huge chunk of the revenue for social media companies come from the sale of user data to advertisers and other private companies.

This business model clearly incentivizes the exploitation of users through the creation of artificial online experiences that keep users glued to their devices. Micro-targeting and manipulative suggested content are some of the ways this is achieved. More emphasis is also placed on the gathering of more user data instead of protecting it.

In addition, the immense power such platforms gain from their network effect and the information gathered from users makes it difficult for them to be reigned in when it comes to protecting user data. Campaigns by the general public to boycott the services of some social media giants have not been very successful. This is probably due to the fact that alternative platforms are struggling to attract new users.

Lawmakers also seem to be capable of doing little at the moment. After all, the information and knowledge from which social media companies gain their power cannot be made public since that would render them unprofitable. This makes it difficult for any meaningful probes to be carried out.

Experts’ Views on the Need for Flexible work

The purpose of technology is to make work easier and improve the quality of life of humans. Unfortunately, this is not the reality as workers are now working longer hours than they would like and are generally unhappy with their jobs. Some are also still struggling to make ends meet. The world can boast of impressive technological advancements yet individuals with plans to start their own business ventures are finding it nearly impossible to find the means and freedom to do so in the current system.

Heejung Chung’s research on Work Autonomy, Flexibility and Work-Life Balance looked at how flexible working conditions benefits workers and improves their work and family lives. According to the findings, flexible work does lead to a reduction in the high levels of work-family conflicts in the UK and Europe.

“Flexible working provides workers with the flexibility and control over the temporal and physical boundaries between their work and home domains, allowing workers to adapt work to fit around family demands.”

In the same research, it was found out that flexible work often led to more intensity of work. This was said to pay-off for workers in the end.

Moving on to equally important views on flexible work, the creator of the #FlexAppeal campaign, Anna Whitehouse, has been vocal about the need to do away with the rigid and outmoded work schedules created to meet the demands of the industrial revolution. Anna entreats employers to understand how flexible working conditions can greatly improve the work life of workers especially those who happen to be parents or differently abled.

For workers who agree with Anna Whitehouse’s ideas, decentralized platforms designed to directly connect employers with employees will be of great use.

Individuals prevented from starting their own businesses due to constraints in the current system are not left out. Joel Gascoigne, founder, and CEO of Buffer, has been a strong advocate for flexible conditions of work for founders and CEOs. He calls on investors to assist the founders of startups to have room to perform other duties outside work.

Blockchain platforms to the Rescue

Fortunately, the solution to the problems of inauthentic social media connections and unsatisfactory work conditions has already been created and at various levels of development. Blockchain, peer-to-peer networks and decentralized platforms in general, have the potential to make work life more flexible and fulfilling.

Aura recruitment, Aworker, Humans and Bravus Hire are some of the decentralized platforms using blockchain technology to create flexible working conditions. Unlike the mainstream social media platforms connecting people, the truly decentralized alternatives are devoid of the exploitation and manipulation users have become accustomed to.

A very important advantage is that on the blockchain platforms mentioned earlier, workers get to maintain a high degree of autonomy. They get to decide how much work they do as well as the preferred working hours.

Data protection is also guaranteed on blockchain-based platforms since user data is stored at multiple points on computers worldwide. This is due to the fact that it is nearly impossible for potential bad actors to gain access to millions of keys worldwide in order to steal user data.

Employers also benefit from using truly decentralized peer-to-peer networks to find help. Here, there are no advertisement or agency fees. The resources management usually spends on the recruitment process is also saved. For instance, on the Humans network, people seeking work and those looking for help are directly connected without any middlemen or agency fees. Additionally, an AI assisted review system also gives employers a fair idea of how good a worker is at a particular task.

Finally, for those with dreams of starting businesses, blockchain technology provides opportunities to crowdfund startups using ICOs. Projects like the Polymath network are helping future issuers of security tokens navigate the presently murky regulatory waters.

How Decentralized networks are Applied in the Real world

Decentralized networks are not mainstream yet. However, there is a large and rapidly increasing number of people that have chosen to use them. One group of users are remote workers from different corners of the globe. A good representative case is that of a Pakistani programmer who is not only connected to employers worldwide but given autonomy with regards to workload and work hours. Such an individual, by signing up for a decentralized platform gets access to jobs that might not exist in his locality. Additionally, there are no middlemen or agency fees. For a worker like this, the value gained from using peer-to-peer networks in such a situation cannot be overestimated.

Any business worldwide can also use the technology provided by peer-to-peer networks to recruit workers with ease and at lower costs. This is another group of users that benefit from truly decentralized blockchain networks. As explained earlier, there are no agency costs involved when using decentralized platforms. Neither do human resource departments have to expend resources in finding workers through traditional means. A representative from the company would simply have to log in and search for the talents they require. Various decentralized platforms combine blockchain technology with other innovations like AI to make the matching process easier. Interactive maps also help in locating nearby talent.

The benefits of using blockchain based recruitment platforms are even more remarkable when the recruiter is an individual. This is because such users are usually the ones with fewer resources for the process of taking on people to help with tasks.

All User groups will be more Satisfied with Decentralized networks

All things considered, truly decentralized peer-to-peer networks are better at connecting humans in a more authentic manner. Firstly, the use of open and decentralized blockchains effectively solve the problem of data breaches. The platforms are also free from manipulative mechanisms and hence engender genuine connections between members.

With respect to connections between workers and employers, decentralized platforms empower workers by giving them more control over the terms and conditions of work. The peer-to-peer networks also do away with middlemen and thus free users from having to deal with agents or pay agency fees. Various technologies are also employed to do away with fraud as well as the exploitation of users.

In all, it is safe to say that peer-to-peer networks are improvements on their centralized versions and would lead to real human connections.

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