Digital Revolution: Who’s really in charge?
In this digital era, it’s hard to imagine someone who’s not at least on one form of social media platform. However, have you ever considered your digital footprint? When we go online, we’re also logging on to a world where information is very publicised. Each of our actions which includes browsing, interactions with others and publication of content could be monitored or recorded on a permanent database. It’s your digital trail of breadcrumbs left intentional and unintentional.
When Generation Z is considered as digital natives, the following generation (Generation Alpha) are born with digital footprints before they even understand the term. Social media will become a way of life for Generation Alpha. “Sharenting” has become a common phenomenon in the digital world as more parents get comfortable with sharing images and videos of their children online — without obtaining their consent. This societal trend draws us to wonder if there’s such thing as privacy anymore?
The issue with sharenting is children on the internet are at high risk of easy access to paedophiles and child exploitation online. In other words, information posted online can be harmful when it lands on the wrong person’s hand. Still, many celebrities and vloggers continue to share their parenting journey online. When a child is born, it’s almost like you’re physically there following each step the child takes, just like watching The Truman Show. This also strips away the ability of the child to make their own narrative and to define themselves in their own time. Taking the Kardashians as an example, despite getting a lot of backlashes exposing their entire life on a reality show, they continued doing so with their second generation on social media platforms.
How can we protect our next generation?
It’s not just an issue with parents, we’re involved in the problem as well. Technology is designed to affect us in a negative way. It’s designed so we as users want to share our lives on these platforms and inviting us to stay on social media with the infinity scroll.
With the release of The Social Dilemma last year on Netflix, people are becoming more aware of how we use technology and the information we’re giving out. The filter bubble is a notion that’s been created by the algorithm which only feeds you personalised information. Where the more you give out, the better these algorithms understand you and your preferences. Therefore, our thoughts are controlled by what the algorithm wants us to see, we’re all on our own island. Once you go down a spiral, social media is a dangerous platform where it foster conspiracies, inaugurate mass protests or sway elections.
These internet giants are also well protected under Section 230, where these platforms are given immunity from any actions done by third-party content. However, they have the power to silence people that’s not in their favour. Recently, lawmakers have been trying to reform this Internet legislation without abolishing it completely. It’s been a tricky path as there are many dilemmas surrounding this discourse.
As social media platforms are a great way for us to stay connected, there is a price to pay. We lose our privacy, we also lose our own way to think. It makes me wonder if our current situation continues, who’s really in charge of our lives? Publishing this article is a form of my intentional digital footprint. I believe people need to start realising the importance of digital footprint and the effect it has on our future. With self-realisation and good digital education, only then we’ll be able to fight the algorithm.
