TL;DR
It’s time to prioritize genuine, person-to-person interaction over the infinite scroll of social media content. The future of these platforms might look very different, and not in a good way.
Recent Changes
Meta’s VP of Product, Connor Hayes, recently revealed that the company envisions a future where social media is “filled with AI-generated users.” Yes, you read that right: not just AI-generated content, but entire users.
Why should you care? Because these platforms thrive on engagement metrics, like the number of active accounts. By introducing AI-generated users, they can boost activity levels while masking a critical issue: the decline in real human interaction on these platforms. Scroll through your feed and count how much of it comes from actual friends versus ads or suggested content. Now imagine that gap widening.
This trend could lead to a digital ecosystem where authentic connections are drowned out by a sea of AI activity. It’s an eerie parallel to movies like Wall-E and Ready Player One, where human interaction is replaced by endless streams of corporate-controlled content. While it might sound far-fetched, we’ve already seen how these platforms prioritize profit over user well-being.
It’s the Fault of Greed
Let me be clear: I don’t think every individual at these companies has malicious intent. Many engineers genuinely love what they do. But the corporate drive to deliver ever-increasing profits to shareholders means the platforms we rely on for connection might become less about us and more about keeping us glued to our screens, no matter the cost.
So What Can We Do?
Step back. Reevaluate how we use social media and where we invest our time. Real, face-to-face connection has more value than any algorithm can replicate. Let’s not lose sight of that.
