The Social Dilemma Falls Short

Much has been written about the peril of tech addiction in recent years.

Numerous personalities have come out in opposition to big tech algorithms keeping us hooked in recent years, such as Napster co-founder and former Facebook executive, Sean Parker, as well as Salesforce CEO, Marc Benioff, who likened Facebook to cigarettes.

I’ve added my voice to this chorus, contributing several articles to Harvard Business Review on tech addiction, one of which stressed the consequences of push notifications on our productivity.

Books such as Irresistible by Adam Alter, Hooked by Nir Eyal, Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport and numerous others have delved deep into the topic.

When you think about the kind of person who picks up and reads a 70,000 word book on tech addiction, they fit a certain profile. These books, while excellent, risk preaching to the converted, or the already curious. A best-selling non-fiction book might sell tens or hundreds of thousands of copies, and reach people of influence who can begin a wider conversation, but books pale in comparison to the ability of streaming platforms such as Netflix to reach the mass market, with upwards of 50 million people viewing its more popular films.

The majority of people don’t realise how their behaviour is being manipulated to keep them…