One of the reasons to set up this website, and move away from the facebook page Quartz has had since 2013, is Doomscrolling. The technology underlying social media is cutting edge. The long term effects are barely understood by the people using it, and ultimately whilst they exist because they provide a public service they fund this by “mining” human behaviour and selling the information gathered.
Sites like facebook will personalise the images and attention grabbers they are using to maintain your attention as long as possible. They will use AI technology to calculate a profile of you based on your reactions. There are artists exploring the ways in which this can ” emphasises the subliminal consequences of such controlled information … “Uncontested bias and racism can be deliberately or carelessly embedded in or perpetuated through algorithmic systems, big data and artificial intelligence (AI).”
On a more immediate level for an informed opinion about the effects of “Doomscrolling” have a look at this short feature (From a company wanting to sell their services)
So, by having a less catchy home online for Quartz we hope to provide a place where people can read, relax and create community without needing to engage with facebook etc. Of course, we will still have a presence on several social media platforms, hopefully providing a nudge to people to stop doomscrolling, tune in to the meta reality of God and practice #SensingSpirituality.
One reply on “Doomscrolling”
Yes, let’s aim for joyscrolling instead!