GINTA: We ought to do screen time right because so much depends on it

You will learn that your attention is translated into money — but don’t rush to write off see social media platforms, internet companies and search engines as evil. It’s the way we interact with these platforms that dictates the power they have over our lives.

Personal data mining is not a new concept, but it is an uncomfortable one. The more of your personal preferences, likes and dislikes you express in the online world we’ve become addicted to, the more accurately your personal profile can be interpreted and exploited by AI algorithms. Kids are particularly vulnerable, but the rest of us are not immune.

That ultimately translates into a personalized feed meaning ads that fit your interests and news articles that meet your biases without challenging what you think you know to be true.

When big political events are afoot, such as elections, a social media platform can tilt the balance, and not necessarily towards the greater good. For the closest case in point, please refer to the mess unfolding south of the border.

And there’s more yet. Attention is a precious currency these days, not just because it can be monetized but also because we see it dwindling in younger generations. That affects their quality of life now and has long-term implications, too.

Screen time starting at an early age robs our children of learning what it means to be quietly creative, to be bored, to be contemplative, to be silent and comfortable with yourself, to lose track of time doing something that feels good and is good for the soul.

Yes, that dopamine hit you get every time you do something you like can be a great thing, unless it’s the result of being conditioned by the notifications you get bombarded with via your screens. Then it borders addiction.

Okay, you are thinking, but people will be accessing this very piece of writing via Facebook perhaps, or Twitter, and so will the actual documentary. What gives?

Well, once again, there is nothing wrong per se with having an online presence, with reading things online, with keeping track of news and such via online platforms.

But. We must keep our lives balanced with a savvy approach to sifting through news from reputable sources rather than just accepting a customized feed; we must keep it real by having real conversations and worthwhile connections with people in our circles and in our community; we must save our children from thinking that their worthiness comes from the number of likes they get on social media; we must encourage them to see the beauty of the world they live in, imperfect as it is.

I urge you to watch ‘The Social Dilemma’ and see what it does for you, because I am convinced it will leave an impression.

Perhaps you’ll get to convince yourself or your teenage kids that it’s worth monitoring screen time and assessing how much time in a day — and life! — is being thrown in the bottomless pit that is social media.

Or maybe it’ll make you reflect on how much we are risking by allowing our personal likes and dislikes to be used to tether our focus to the mindless infinite scroll.

Or it might make you realize what we stand to lose at a larger scale: our freedom to think, to make decisions for ourselves, and ultimately our ability to guard democratic values and be united as challenges come about.

As with everything else, when we have the courage to acknowledge things that make us uncomfortable, we can cultivate common sense and critical thinking, neither of which can be disposed of without dire consequences.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.

by Daniela Ginta

GINTA: We ought to do screen time right because so much depends on it

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