Fulfillment that does not require delivery trucks or AI.
Image by Martin E. Dodge
Here is a new common social media post: “Hey algorithm, please connect me with like-minded people.”
A problem I have with this type of post is that the machine process must have proper input to filter content to match interests. The writing style that makes content digestible for the algorithm or AI requires definitive problem-and-solution language rather than human emotional needs. That is the most efficient way to produce an AI summary with cited sources (credible or not). Content creators are now expected to write this way so that AI can scrape and compile data for you, so that humans no longer need to surf the internet. Online search, marketing, and social media want you to outsource curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and decision-making. You must obey and subscribe to scream into a personalized ad space.
I post online regardless of the newest internet reality. Many of my social media likes or website visits are from people. But I get more engagement from bots and scammers than family, friends, or peers – I’m looking at you, LinkedIn and Instagram. And yes, I use EM dashes.
Getting ahead in life has always been about who you know, and that holds true more than ever. Yet somehow, we rely on the internet to connect with others for jobs, passive income, and emotional support. Social media used to be about getting people to look at your stuff, but now it's about getting a machine to analyze your data, look for you, and interpret what is there. That is fine for shopping, but not for human connection. So, unless you have a ready-made IRL social network, you are out of luck.
I wish I knew how to build an IRL social network in a world that is increasingly socially dysfunctional and isolating. A traumatic past shaped me, attracted a destructive social group of like individuals, and it led to a host of poor decisions I am still sorting out. The self-reliance I have developed is driven by disappointment stemming from trusting deeply flawed people. I even doubt myself as I gain wisdom. Ironically, the way out of my social dysfunction is to talk to the right people. Yet the actions of morally focused people are often immoral, especially toward those outside their group.
Conversation doesn’t have the luxury of editing before speaking. My thoughts are often jumbled, and the words, meanings, and intentions are incomplete. A machine cannot help us sort through that mess, especially when emotions and extraneous circumstances are involved. Meeting new people is hard. My work schedule never works for IRL meet-ups – hobby groups, classes, online dating apps – oops, I went back to the internet. Half of a conversation is listening and comprehending. And I don’t want to embarrass myself by sounding stupid because I haven’t had practice talking about my thoughts. Unfortunately, if I wait until the mess in my head sorts itself out, I will never reach out to others.
Inevitably, the people who made it all happen will complain about the lazy people. A technologically induced plague will scourge society. No amount of verbal polish, neutral attitude, positivity worship, or professional jargon will prevent machine gatekeepers from ghosting you from opportunities. The arguments against universal income will come from the unaffected. The political culture war will rage while a new great depression unfolds. Prayers to God will be answered more frequently than prayers to leaders who can blame the machine or the people. In the meantime, let’s hope AI companies don’t use all our fresh water to cool their data centers. And we might become friends if we could talk.
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