Those of us building technology are not immune, either.
How much have, for example, social media companies ruined lives? It has certainly helped many people, but at this point in history, on a daily basis, how many people are hurt more than they’re helped?
I would guess that positives and negatives are overstated in both directions. New technology is always “ruining lives” according to the previous generation. Probably when we invented writing it was considered exceedingly dangerous.
“Evidence for the relationship between Instagram use and well-being, as indicated by ratings of life satisfaction and happiness, is limited and mixed.”
“Initial evidence suggests that Instagram membership does not seem to be linked to depressive symptoms.”
“Evidence for the association between Instagram use and anxiety is scarce. The majority of the studies suggests that Instagram membership does not seem to put one at-risk for experiencing elevated anxiety levels.”
My interpretation is that social media matters far less than we think. If it was truly so bad (or good!) we would have found stronger evidence in the data.
How much have, for example, social media companies ruined lives? It has certainly helped many people, but at this point in history, on a daily basis, how many people are hurt more than they’re helped?