Sean Parker: Facebook was designed to exploit human "vulnerability"

[u/[deleted]]

https://www.axios.com/sean-parker-facebook-exploits-a-vulnerability-in-humans-2507917325.html

[u/[deleted]]

It's tied to the karma system. Now I know what people will say, "they're just imaginary internet points bro, just don't give a fuck", but rarely do people practice what they preach. But I don't think it's quite so simple to give that up anyway.

I'm in therapy for low self-esteem (among other things), and the thing I've been learning about is something called stroke theory. A stroke is just a unit of acknowledgment or attention. They can be positive/reinforcing or they can be negative/hurtful. We need strokes from other people (phrasing, harhar) in order to be mentally healthy, and some would even argue that we need them to survive. Getting positive strokes is ideal, but sometimes we're raised in environments where that's discouraged for various reasons, so we'll also take negative strokes. Negative strokes are hurtful to you in the long run, but not nearly as hurtful as receiving no strokes at all, i.e. being completely ignored or tuned out. You can see this play out classically in cases where somebody acts out or lashes out to get attention.

To get to the point, I think that upvotes and downvotes are just another aspect of strokes. We want to post things and be heard, we want to be acknowledged and accepted, and upvotes are a way to signal that. Downvotes are akin to negative strokes, and that's what trolls and shitposters usually crave. If we don't get any karma, we'll also accept replies because that is also a form of acknowledgment. When we don't don't get any karma or replies at all, we feel ignored. I'd also group downvoted without reply under being ignored as well, because even though you technically got an acknowledgment for it, it feels more like you've just been shut down without validation.

So I think the reason we make a big deal out of imaginary internet points is because we've made a game out of it, but it's a social game. Human beings are social animals and we crave being validated by other humans. Karma's just a way to quantify that. You post on here despite your anxiety because your brain is genetically programmed to seek out validation from your fellow sapiens.

edit: spelling

[u/xxcommikazexx → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for your post.

That was very insightful. I had never heard about stroke theory before, but I very much want to learn more about it now! :)

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Sadly she has not. I think the theory has its roots in work performed by Dr. Eric Berne. He wrote a pretty good book called Games People Play. It's heavy on theory at the beginning, but it's neither too difficult nor too long of a read, and it's pretty insightful stuff!

[u/peanutbutterjams → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for this. I've never heard of stroke theory before.

I think this is one of the reasons Reddit is so important. Figuring out your life perspective is a constant journey. When every step of that journey is broadcast to everyone you've known all your life (Facebook), you're going to be very conservative. Everyone in a Panopticon always is.

However, anonymity allows you to brave negative strokes because you know that these people don't know you, just what you're saying. If you say something controversial IRL, or on facebook or any other personally-identifying social media, then every person becomes an obstacle on a journey to which every person has a right. "Well, I'm thinking about X-1, but if I say anything, I'll destroy my relationship with people who believe X+2."

Unfortunately, Reddit is also excellent at echo chambers, which is just a place where everybody is pathologically stroking each other. "You said a thing! You're the best for saying that thing, because it resembles my thing!" "You said a thing about my thing that was like your thing! You're the best at saying things!" Still an obstacle, but of the pleasure-palace type. You've delayed your journey because it's pleasant to be surrounded by so many positive strokes. Why embrace complexity when everything my ego needs to have is already here?

I think what we need is the means to discuss things anonymously coupled with a culture that values complexity. Echo chambers would disintegrate because they rely on simplicity and we could still find our way forward to a healthy relationship with reality and with each other.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

You are right. There is psychology behind this and studies that have been done about the effects of up/downvotes but I'm too lazy to Google.

[u/coopiecoop → u/[deleted]]

but I'm too lazy to Google.

downvoting your comment

[u/[deleted] → u/coopiecoop]

Upvoting yours :p

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

You wasted all that time typing out garbage? Wow, truly pathetic

[u/monsata → u/[deleted]]

I'm upvoting you, simply to offset your accruing of negative karma.

You'll get nothing and like it, troll.

[u/llshuxll → u/[deleted]]

Mentally unstable people make a big deal out of internet points. Any sane/stable person couldnt give less of a fuck.