Social Media as Social Control.

Summary

The transcript discusses B.F. Skinner's controversial 'Skinner boxes' and their application to social media platforms, which act as modern-day Skinner boxes. Skinner's behaviorist theories aimed to condition human behavior through operant conditioning, an idea that has been criticized for undermining freedom and dignity. Today, social media algorithms and policies subtly influence user behavior, creating a form of social control. The concept of 'libertarian paternalism' is introduced, suggesting that people can be nudged into making decisions that align with a desired outcome without force, similar to how Skinner's experiments worked.

Takeaways

• 🔬 B.F. Skinner's experiments with 'Skinner boxes' aimed to study and control animal behavior through operant conditioning.
• 🐁 Skinner's methodology involved placing animals in boxes with mechanisms like levers and lights, where specific behaviors were rewarded or punished.
• 💡 Skinner believed that human behavior could be conditioned and controlled through a system of reinforcement and punishment, similar to his experiments.
• 📚 Skinner's book 'Beyond Freedom and Dignity' argues for a behaviorist utopia where human behavior is shaped by external stimuli.
• 🤔 Skinner's ideas were controversial among psychologists, especially those who believed in the importance of subjective experiences.
• 📈 Modern social media platforms function as 'Skinner boxes', where user behavior is shaped by likes, shares, and algorithmic recommendations.
• 🚫 Social media sites use bans and content removal to create a 'chilling effect', subtly controlling user behavior.
• 🌐 The concept of 'libertarian paternalism' is a modern application of Skinner's ideas, where choices are subtly manipulated to guide people's decisions.
• 🧠 The 'heuristics and biases' program suggests that human cognition is flawed and requires guidance from social engineers.
• 🔑 Social media platforms use tokens of approval (likes, shares) to incentivize and control user behavior, similar to Skinner's reward system.

Q & A

What were Skinner boxes and how were they used in B.F. Skinner's experiments?

Skinner boxes were experimental devices used by the American psychologist B.F. Skinner to study animal behavior. They were boxes with mechanisms like lights, levers, and switch plates. Animals placed in these boxes were subjected to operant conditioning, where they received rewards or punishments based on their actions, such as standing on a lever or pulling a switch at certain times.

What is operant conditioning?

Operant conditioning is a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. It is a behaviorist approach that suggests that behaviors can be modified by controlling the consequences that follow them.

How did Skinner's experiments with animals relate to his views on human behavior?

Skinner believed that the principles of operant conditioning observed in his animal experiments could be applied to human behavior. He envisioned a society where human behavior could be conditioned and controlled through reinforcement and punishment, similar to the way animals were conditioned in his experiments.

What is the connection between Skinner's ideas and social media platforms?

The concept of Skinner boxes has been extended to social media platforms, which can be seen as modern-day Skinner boxes. These platforms use algorithms and feedback mechanisms to reinforce certain behaviors, such as liking, sharing, and commenting, shaping user interactions and potentially influencing their thoughts and beliefs.

What is meant by 'libertarian paternalism' in the context of social control?

Libertarian paternalism is a concept where individuals are nudged towards certain decisions or behaviors without overt coercion. It suggests that by structuring choices in a particular way, people can be guided to make decisions that align with the desires of social engineers or policymakers, while still maintaining the illusion of free choice.

How does the script suggest that social media platforms exert control over users?

The script suggests that social media platforms exert control by creating an environment where users are rewarded for certain behaviors (likes, shares) and subtly discouraged from others through mechanisms like banning or content removal. This can lead to self-regulation and a chilling effect, where users self-censor to conform to perceived community standards.

What is the role of heuristics and biases in the social engineering perspective discussed in the script?

Heuristics and biases refer to the mental shortcuts and systematic errors people make when processing information. The social engineering perspective discussed in the script views these as flaws in human cognition that can be manipulated or 'fixed' by external forces, such as social media algorithms, to guide people towards desired behaviors.

How does the script argue that privacy concerns on social media are secondary to behavioral control?

The script argues that while privacy concerns are significant, the more profound issue is the behavioral control exerted through social media. It suggests that metadata collected from user behavior is used to create AI systems that further reinforce desired behaviors, making users more susceptible to manipulation.

What is the concept of 'token economy' as it relates to social media?

A token economy is a system where individuals are rewarded or punished with tokens to reinforce or discourage certain behaviors. In the context of social media, likes, shares, and comments act as tokens that reinforce user behavior, creating a form of social control.

How does the script describe the potential dangers of social media as Skinner boxes?

The script describes the dangers of social media as Skinner boxes by suggesting that they program users in a similar way to how animals were conditioned in Skinner's experiments. It argues that this can lead to predictable and controlled behavior, where users may be manipulated to believe in certain 'consensus' views without realizing the extent of external influence.

What is the script's view on the term 'radicalization' in the context of social media?

The script challenges the common use of the term 'radicalization' to describe individuals becoming more extreme in their views. Instead, it suggests that it is the users within social media systems who are being radicalized, as their behavior becomes more controlled and influenced by the platforms' reinforcement mechanisms.