Zombifying apps

Many of the popular social media apps have started showing ‘shorts’. Shorts are 15-30 second videos made by users that the viewer can quickly watch. These short videos may seem like an interesting idea but in reality these shorts are used to psychologically manipulate the viewer into watching more videos. The programming or algorithm of these social media apps show videos that manipulate the emotions of the viewers by showing them videos that stir extreme opposite feelings in the viewer. For example, first they will show a video of cute kittens then a funny video is shown and then suddenly a sad or dangerous video is shown. As the viewer watches these videos their emotions go from one extreme to another quickly.

This confuses their brains and also exhausts them emotionally. Leaving the viewers in a zombie-like state with no energy or will power to stop. This way these social media apps get high viewership and are able to attract advertising revenue. But it is leaving people, especially children, mentally and emotionally confused. Such apps should not be offered freely, otherwise the damage they create in the society can have long term negative effects.

Engr Shahryar Khan Baseer

Islamabad