By way of introduction, this article is an extension of a former pieces: How A.I. is Creating a Blizzard of Content and The Technological Society. I hope you’ll think through those articles as well.
Gamification is the process of enhancing a user’s involvement through the integration of game design elements, like scoring points, rewards, or increased notoriety—real or perceived—where interactions are based upon “improving” one’s standing. On the face of it, such an approach seems practical. Get people to participate and show them how they are achieving. But as with everything today, the presentation of seeming value isn’t the full measure.
In medicine, there is a thing called a PDR, the Physicians’ Desk Reference. This hefty tome provides medical practitioners with detailed information on prescription drugs. It details indications and usages, dosage, and precautions. But, perhaps the most crucial detail it offers is in respect to adverse reactions. The value of anything can only be understood in the larger context of impact and effect—both good and bad. Far too many people are “early adopters” of whatever it is; without ever considering the side effects or negatives. To me, this is a huge problem.
Solid Questions to Consider
Do we know how internet algorithms really work? Do we know what their operation does to people, given that they have an array of different algorithms on various platforms that manipulate what is seen or selected from what is presented? The function of an algorithm is to deliver relevant content to users.1 What happens when the algorithm is looking for controversy? What if the algorithm is just looking to capitalize on searches and interest? How would these invisible forces affect people looking or viewing? How would these covert intermediaries handle someone writing on a subject that isn’t popular or doesn’t spark typical controversies?
How does the reality of algorithms manipulate people in their content creation? If the goal is to be seen, noticed, reviewed, and dwelt upon… What does one have to do to get views, clicks, and viral moments? Then, how does one repeat these spikes? The algorithmic handling of material and the sickness of creating just to be seen has created a mess. Valuable content is out the door. Controversy and creative outrageousness are what win the day.
I know a secular internet guru who suggests choosing search words, for my content, based on search engine optimization statistics. If I were to submit to this temptation—that is what has been made to be popular—what does this do to my content? My objective, or the ability to steer towards saner, better, and contrastive material is then subservient to populism. I don’t think we understand how damaging algorithmic factors are in manipulating what becomes available and how creators then go about making content in this type of arena. At that point, gamification has more to do with content creation than need or truth.
A Comparative We Ought to Consider
In the food industry, companies are required to label and disclose products so that customers can be aware if they wish to be. However, in the digital world, we have no knowledge of what is being done to the content. Don't you think this affects perception or attitudes?
We are living in a virtual matrix.
How is a follower of Christ to stand in such a roiling mess?
Specific “popular ideas,” or what people want to hear, will garner more attention—or bury that which isn’t popular or that ought to be heard. So, not only is “the algorithm” against you, but Artificial Intelligence is busy producing a tidal wave of minutiae that likely wouldn't meet the definition of accurate information. However, the sheer mountains of half-baked content assure that most people will not see the best material, even if they conduct a rigorous search.
The internet is a jungle. Yet, it is a place that can be sewn with seed, truth, and empowerment. But how does one go about it? With “the prince of the power of the air” arrayed against all that is good, what can we do?
It’s estimated that 60 percent of the world’s population uses social media, with 150 million new users joining in April 2023.2 This data is somewhat dated information. But it is not entirely unrepresentative of reality. The internet is as much “the world” as Cherry County, Nebraska, or Lake Constance, Switzerland. As followers of Jesus, we need to be present to the world—to contrast it, to sow seeds, and be available to answer questions about truth. How can this work when there is garbage from wall to wall?
Here are Some Hot Suggestions:
Truth is dynamic, that is to say, it does things. You can bet if something is dynamic, that folks will talk because people are inveterate show-offs who have to talk about “what they found.” That is super news because Jesus owns truth.
Write truth to gather those who understand what you are offering. Share with them that it is essential to share with others and to bind together in a community of understanding.
Encourage your followers to share with their connections. Find out what they are discovering through dialogue those people. People see different things in content. They can articulate in further detail what you haven’t shared. This extension affect broadens reach and impact. It also helps you refine your approach based on the feedback.
Use specific facts and details that can be tied to the best expert sources on the internet. Inform them that you are using their fact or information to support a point in your work. Then ask for backlinks or promotion through their channels.
Ask people who have commented for more feedback on how they understood the concept or what their new understanding has done for them.
In these ways, which is a long game operation, we build something unavoidable and undeniable. At some point, “the algorithms” must take notice. They can’t conspire across all platforms to silence you because so many are talking in different ways about what you’re producing.
Conclusion:
The prince of the power of the air is undoubtedly at work against God, truth, and you if you are living and representing Him. But when truth impacts people’s lives, it becomes an insidious force that no amount of repression can squelch. You need to know the forces arrayed against you and the truth. You need to not grow weary of standing in the world of mediocrity. It’s not about popularity or viral moments. It’s about the power of impact. We should never be looking for cheap, fast, big splashes. Instead, we should strive to make connections that enhance people’s lives and abilities. That in itself is a seditious act in a world bent on depressing and marginalizing people.
We need to steer clear of trivia content and focus on offering demonstrable improvements in key areas. You see folks rehashing well-worn points—or constantly bashing other things to build “their thing” up. I genuinely believe in discernment content. But it should be used to encourage people to think, rather than serving as a platform to re-advertise old content. There is one guy who doesn’t teach people to think. Justin Peters frequently criticizes numerous aspects in an effort to establish himself as a leading proponent of outdated and ineffective ideas. He’s a nice person, but he’s more focused on making a name by opposing various things, only to offer no new or better content.
Better content, stuff people have never heard of before, and material that radicalizes people is what the world needs. “Radicalization” is a word that has received a lot of bad press, through footage of evil extremists being labeled as “radicals.” However, if we understand word etymology, we’ll realize that ‘radical’ is good and ‘radicalization’ is the process of coming to the most basic, fundamental understanding of a thing. When people are radicalized about a truth, fact, or information that is useful, they become dynamic and active.
We must be about education. The institutions of education have largely failed humanity. According to Michel Foucault, a French philosopher, historian, and author, he wrote, “schools serve the same social functions as prisons and mental institutions—to define, classify, control, and regulate people.3 Therefore, the content creator who educates will gain ascendancy over time because those who get educated by their content talk, share, and represent an ascendancy that cannot be denied or avoided. People grow weary of minutiae and trivial information, which fills the internet. However, radical content provides buoys that are anchored to irrefutable facts. These float in the ocean of garbage.
1. https://www.internetjustsociety.org/algorithms-in-social-media-platforms
2. https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-do-social-media-algorithms-work
3. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/978808-schools-serve-the-same-social-functions-as-prisons-and-mental