Social media has changed the way Americans consume both entertainment and information. Pranav Malhotra, assistant professor in the University of Michigan’s Department of Communication and Media, talked with Stateside about the facts behind some of our social media fears, and about what the future of social media use might look like.
It's become a norm to blame social media technologies for society's social ills, Malhotra said, as it seems to be the "simple explanation." However, that attitude often absolves consumers from taking a deeper look into what is happening socially and culturally.
“And I think one of the reasons why it is dangerous to lay the blame exclusively on algorithms is it actually ends up kind of reinforcing a power that these tech companies have," Malhotra said. "Because the way we've talked about algorithms have almost kind of mystified them in a way, or given them this magical power that is causing all of these problems.”
Malhotra suspects that many social media users are moving in the direction of "bounded social media places." Platforms like Discord, Snapchat, and private Facebook groups offer a sense of control, and provide an escape from the social media "slop" from influencers and advertisements many find on their typical social media feeds, he said.
"I think the shift towards bounded social media places is just going to accelerate, and I think we're already there," Malhotra said. "But we're really shifting towards that really quickly, especially in the US."
Hear the full conversation on today's Stateside podcast.
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GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
Pranav Malhotra, Assistant Professor in the University of Michigan’s Department of Communication and Media
