I still mostly use the web browser on my mobile phone.
Many apps are just too damn invasive now as well, they cross the line way too far for metrics they don't even really pay attention to; this is why I only install apps that don't use dark patterns and I've deleted many that go that route. I also schedule my important daily tasks on my calendar with silent (vibration alerts) so that I know when things need to get done. Ringers and notifications are always off on my phone...
I do get pulled in to TikTok at times, but I frequently recognize when the content gets "preachy" and/or boring, and I quickly quit the app and take a break when that happens. Sometimes, it's just simple fun to take a mental break from being serious too, so we shouldn't always ruin all the good aspects of social platforms.
Product owners and companies now often think their role is to manipulate people into staying on apps, and that's a very toxic attitude that discourages trust in corporations behind the apps.
In truth, these platforms are accountable for the suicides, societal depression, crimes, and negative effects their platforms encourage in real life, and eventually they will be held accountable for it.
For us, there are careful choices to make; we need to identify dark patterns and encourage public awareness about them. We need to refuse to do development work that supports negative outcomes and dark profit.
If any of us collect a check for creating bad algos and just think it's just "doing our job" we're just as accountable as the greedy and morally corrupt execs that push for profit goals without any sense of societal responsibility and moral accountability.
Many apps are just too damn invasive now as well, they cross the line way too far for metrics they don't even really pay attention to; this is why I only install apps that don't use dark patterns and I've deleted many that go that route. I also schedule my important daily tasks on my calendar with silent (vibration alerts) so that I know when things need to get done. Ringers and notifications are always off on my phone...
I do get pulled in to TikTok at times, but I frequently recognize when the content gets "preachy" and/or boring, and I quickly quit the app and take a break when that happens. Sometimes, it's just simple fun to take a mental break from being serious too, so we shouldn't always ruin all the good aspects of social platforms.
Product owners and companies now often think their role is to manipulate people into staying on apps, and that's a very toxic attitude that discourages trust in corporations behind the apps.
In truth, these platforms are accountable for the suicides, societal depression, crimes, and negative effects their platforms encourage in real life, and eventually they will be held accountable for it.
For us, there are careful choices to make; we need to identify dark patterns and encourage public awareness about them. We need to refuse to do development work that supports negative outcomes and dark profit.
If any of us collect a check for creating bad algos and just think it's just "doing our job" we're just as accountable as the greedy and morally corrupt execs that push for profit goals without any sense of societal responsibility and moral accountability.