Your Device is a Tool: Stop Letting it Use You.

        

Believe it or... believe it, (that's right I'm not giving you an option) social media can be unethical and it can deprive us of our freedom. I bet you thought I said that because social media is "addictive" and you are right, social media is addictive but it is also unethical for other reasons. Let's dive in.

Think about every time you downloaded a new app, of course, you have to enter an email so they can send you daily junk mail that is inevitability going to end up in the trash section. After you have entered the same password you have used for everything, the app then asks you to access your photos and your location. That's when you are left thinking why does the game subway surfers need to use my location?

I always find myself in that little moment where I go "hmmm" and my thumb hovers over the screen for about three seconds and then I find myself allowing the app to use my location. Why? Because I know it will lead to the following question if I don't. Asking again to allow for the app to use my location or access my photos. Sure why not if it means you'll stop.

We haven't even begun to think about the terms and conditions either, there is no redlining the terms and conditions of an app. You are kind of forced to agree. Yes, they give you an option but how much of an option is it really. If you don't agree with what happens, well you can't use the app. Point, blank, period.

How about the "free" wifi locations where all you have to do is accept the terms of service. Has anyone actually took the time to read what they are agreeing to. I could have already signed over my first home to multiple companies for all I know. But we are so addicted to our phones that we NEED social media.

Apps like Facebook and companies like Apple have an upwards 15,000 words in there terms and conditions spread across pages and pages of information that isn't even easy enough to read. (considering that 36% of Americans have intermediate literacy levels)

So what right? We have already agreed... who cares right? I bet you have thought that nothing will happen to you. Or maybe you have already decided that your FBI agent is too nice to plaster the pics in your camera roll that you wouldn't dare show your grandma. Companies only care about surfing through your pictures and tracing your location because they know about you now, and what I mean Is, they will know what adds to give you. (Most of the time) 

Facebook has a purpose for themselves, which is to make money, meaning Facebook's purpose for you is to stay hooked. I didn't just make that up.. look here! In an interview with one of Mark Zuckerberg's colleagues, Sean Parker says, one of the questions they asked when creating the app was "How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible." Is it sad that it's not even shocking to me?

They want to keep you on their sites for one reason, to make money. How? You bet so. Off ads.

One of the YouTubers I watch created a series of videos creating profit off of ads... while still using ads. Seems like a cycle huh?

Clevver style is a YouTube channel that is apart of a huge company, they do multiple different segments on their channel, a current trend they have begun to experiment is buying every ad on *insert social media platform*. Clevver style has found a way to successfully make do with the ads we see daily.

And then there's me, watching and being entertained. The idea of actually buying the ads you see was fascinating to me. For me, the ads always seem so untouchable. I find myself clicking on the ad ever so often and then /scrolling through the sight. I have never actually bought the thing that was going to be selling.

A couple of things are happing here, essentially we are getting an overload haul of ads, but this time its for entertainment? The ads started when I clicked on the video, if you are a YouTuber watcher like myself then you could know that YouTube starts the videos with an ad. The video then starts and we jump right into ads (specifically talking about the Clevvers buying ads videos) as they are scrolling through social media. After they buy their products they then sit there and review the products. After the video, it ends with an ad. But wait! You can't forget about all the YouTube ads that get thrown at you during the time you spent watching. 

So you mean to tell me that I watched a full 20 minute of ads in different forms and I enjoyed it... Why is this? Clevver creates a brand of authenticity. Although I was watching ads I was laughing and enjoying the videos, people in the comments express the same thing. No one seemed to be overly bothered by the video. 

We were all connecting to the authenticity of the people in the videos. Clevver was open and honest about the brands. They remained practical and upfront with the products. It seemed real and it seemed like they cared, they weren't trying to push products. Although someone might have watched that film and bought a product. Overall, authenticity seemed to be key to selling products.

But wait, we can't be too real because it might end up looking something like this:

Its kinda weird to see that, right! But this also presents a problem. Would that even work out? would products end up being sold, the comment section seems to think so. Not sure if that is enough of a push for companies to change their entire advertisement process.

                     

Perhaps holding companies accountable for ads or even holding companies (like Facebook) accountable for the addictive properties they have would prevent two things. The invasion of privacy and the constant overload of marketing and advertising. The users have more of a voice then we think, without us, there wouldn't be a platform and their woulodnt be money.

We are capable of change. No one is okay with allowing bullying or cyberbullying so why are we letting brands do that to its consumers?

Forget about the terms and conditions, forget about the constant ads, forget about the phone.