Actual democracy, cyber-monopolies, tech addiction and the need for ethical VR
A deep & distributed democracy is coming
At the moment, my mind keeps coming to the question of our technological infrastructure because it is on this foundation that we are now going to build a deeper democracy around the world. Because briefly: before the only technology we had to involve citizens in decisions was pen and paper, meaning hierarchy was necessary to have a working democracy. But now, we have the technology necessary to have deep democracy, a democracy which is distributed, and which is, well, democratic. And so aided by new technology such as blockchain, mesh networks, AI and more, I believe that in the next 5–10 years we will for the first time ever, see true democracy.
And that really excites me. I am filled with optimism. But it is dependent on a few things. Distributed democracy will depend on our technological infrastructure, and because of its emergent and disruptive nature, we currently have totally inadequate governance, regulatory and ethical architecture for our tech to enable deep democracy. [1]
Where does the real power lie?
The first most obvious problem, is that in the short term it is based on the media platforms and devices we use, that we will be informed and then express our will as citizens. Unfortunately though these devices and platforms are owned by a very small group of people. A very small group of very rich people. In fact, if we really nail down who our devices and platforms are owned by, it gets scary.
We could say that never in history have so few companies, had so much money, based on the having such persuasive and addictive technology in the hands of so many people. [2][3] It is scary. Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple have monopolised the world’s attention and have business models that are premised on them monopolising our attention in order to capture personal data, and serve us ads.[4]
These platforms shape our belief systems, and it is based on these belief systems that we make decisions as citizens. So if our perspective on the world is being crafted and hijacked by corporates with a profit motive, it isn’t democracy.[5] And this is why this is so important. Because if we don’t improve this, we will over time be handing over the keys to the big four.
The 2nd behavioural addiction: technology
In order to do this, these platforms use all sorts of dirty tricks, one of which is simple: design. They hire smart people from behavioural psychology courses as designers and use tricks borrowed from the mechanics of slot machines to create what is now the second behavioural addiction we know of (after gambling): technology. [6] We are totally addicted to our phones and the implications are broad and deep. [7] For the purpose of this article though, let’s focus on one of the key implications, the one that is potentially most dangerous for democracy: the re-wiring of our world view.
How our worldview is being shaped?
Our actions shape our beliefs, as do the stories we are told and the information we consume. Since we consume most of our information from our devices through these biased platforms whose belief system is money based on data and ad revenue, this means that our view of the world is being shaped by the profit motive. In other words, these platforms have a huge influence on what we believe. This has always been the case of course with media in general, but it is dramatically different in the extent to which this is true. The algorithms and design choices behind the platforms we use are sculpting our view of the world and tampering with free will.[8]
This is scary shit. Instagram drip feeds you ‘likes’ so you keep going back, [9] Twitter’s loading icon varies in duration to give a variable reward dynamic (like slot machines), Facebook’s algorithm censors towards cognitive bias, Google gives you searches based on our existing narrow view (even in incognito mode)…etc. Just try taking a kid off Snapchat and you’ll see what addictive design can do to somebody first hand (be sure to protect yourself physically if you do so).
The monopoly knows no end and for the first time it interferes with our brain even on a chemical level, creating dopamine spikes that literally addict us (not just behaviourally, but chemically also). Then add the fact the Net Neutrality is under threat and it could very soon be the case (if it isn’t already) that broadband companies will get to decide what sites we visit. [10]
To compound this further the mainstream directive educational frameworks aren’t nurturing our ability to think critically, to question the reality we are served, to find new solutions. Indeed many don’t know this huge shift in global power is occurring and few of us put a big enough focus on nurturing the self awareness necessary to question our own world view.
In comes VR…
Now the thing is, that the factors mentioned above are about to be taken to the next level. Because where a Facebook feed, or a film can have a big impact on our way of seeing the world, ultimately, they are still crude and simple. We can still use our bullshit detectors reasonably well.
But what if the technology was so good that we didn’t even know whether we were in ‘the real world’ or not?! What if it was so well designed and so powerful that it could totally trick our psychology to totally reconstruct our view of the world?! Well VR could do that. VR is getting so good (and it’s just the beginning) that it really is possible to see a future where we wouldn’t be 100% sure whether we were in or out of the matrix and this would have a durable impact on our perception of the world. And if it does that, it will of course impact our decisions and therefore have a huge effect on everything and particularly democracy (I recommend watching this video with Jordan Greenhall). [11]
Where do the opportunities lie?
Scared yet? Cool. Now we have a reason and desire to act, let’s discuss the opportunities this brings us. Because by acting now we can hopefully counter these barriers to democracy and create a world which is far more distributed.
Ethical VR
VR is nascent in its adoption, and therefore VR designers and developers have the opportunity to press reset on the way platforms are designed and to choose to design them for Good. There is a suggestion by some professionals like Tristan Harris, that designers should take a hippocratic oath to maintain certain ethical standards. [12]
Could VR designers role model this from the start? Could they set a new ethical standard for design?
Other thinkers like Nir Eyal, author of Hooked, seem to put on the onus on the user of these products which I think is at best naive, at worst irresponsible but probably just lazy. [13] Of course people have a responsibility to evaluate the intentions of the platforms they use, but the technology is rapidly getting more powerful than what we can cope with. It is getting to a point where we just won’t know what’s up and down and I strongly believe there needs to be a moral responsibility placed directly on designers and companies.
VR for nature
Because if our existing devices shape our world view, VR can totally alter it and if used for evil it could be the most addictive thing we’ve ever had creating virtual worlds we’d rather visit than physical ones. The opportunity we have with VR is to use it to make us appreciate the physical world more. Thanks to VR we can allow people to experience beautiful natural places in the world that few are lucky to visit (without any harm to the environment). Experiences that will only make us want to go visit our own local natural habitat more. Experiences like this one by ITEOTA. [14]
Could VR designers use technology to actually get people into nature more? Could it be used to reconnect us?
VR for humility
With VR we can give people deep experiences which show us the importance of protecting nature. Imagine if we could allow people to visit space and gain what Astronauts call ‘The Overview Effect’, that apparently amazing spiritual experience where we look back at our planet and realise how small we are, how beautiful it is, and how much we must protect it. If the documentaries you’ve seen seem amazing, VR will be so good, you will feel it for real. What an amazing experience!
Could we use VR to enable those who aren’t fortunate enough to be able to climb a mountain, to do so? Could we use VR to give people the kind of epic realisations that only astronauts or extreme adventurers get?
VR for empathy
With VR could we be able to introduce people to cultures we don’t typically encounter? Could we nurture deep empathy for situations we otherwise don’t experience? Could we use technology to genuinely put ourselves in other people’s shoes and develop our empathy?
What an amazing experience that could be. Check out Project Empathy VR to get an idea of what this could look like or see The Guardian’s VR to see what it might feel like to be waiting for asylum or to experience autism. [15] [16] What it could look like to be able to understand how somebody else might feel in a given situation. This ability to connect both our planet and other people offers huge potential for a more genuinely connected world. But only if it does with that intention.
Our brain struggles to decipher the difference between stories and reality, and as a consequence the stories we tell are vital because they shape our reality and even shape the brain itself. With VR these stories will be deeper and more believable than ever. So choosing those stories is more important than ever.
Responsibly designed VR
And so it is our responsibility and particularly those of designers to use these tools for Good. For a better more connected world. Because perhaps thanks to VR we could actually engineer a kind of empathy few of us manage to muster. And if we can do that, maybe we can contribute to peace and democracy prospering too.
Be well,
Jon
I’ve written this article for Ricolab, the independent innovation lab of Ricola working on the intersection of nature, herbs & technology. It follows a workshop on VR/AR & Nature for Good and I was asked to give my perspective on VR, how it links to my field (democracy) and where the opportunities lie (i.e. to focus on what we can do, not what we can’t do).
Hi, I’m Jon 👋🏼 Please stay in touch. You can also follow these links to know more about me, my company, my first book and all my handles: instagram / twitter / facebook / linkedin / youtube
References
[1] Democracy Squared, Jon Barnes
[2] Google Just Passed Apple As The World’s Most Valuable Company, Forbes
[3] Jeff Bezos Briefly Tops Bill Gates as the World’s Richest Person, Bloomberg
[4] Throwing Rocks At The Google Bus, Douglas Rushkoff
[5] Our minds can be hijacked’: the tech insiders who fear a smartphone dystopia, The Guardian
[6] What is Technology Doing to Us? A Conversation with Tristan Harris, Sam Harris
[7] The facts on our digital addiction and the need for digital detox, It’s Time To Logoff
[8] Beware online “filter bubbles, Eli Pariser, TED
[10] Save Net Neutrality, change.org
[11] Where Does Reality End and Imagination Begin? In the Future, We Might Not Know, Jordan Greenhall, Big Think
