5+ Companies Changing How the Human Mind Works

Technology offers a world of capabilities previously unavailable.

We now have instant transportation or lodging. We have instant content, and lots of it.

This is a truly remarkable advancement in the way the world operates.

But these changes likely aren’t without cost.

At times it’s worth stepping back and considering the long-term implications of a world built around instant convenience.

Uber, and a Willingness to Trust

Companies such as Uber and Lyft make transportation in the U.S. and around the world infinitely more accessible.

We can hitch a ride within minutes by way of our smartphones.

While cab companies create an artificial scarcity by issuing a certain number of medallions and licenses, Uber uses algorithms to address the number of drivers in a given area as demands rise and fall.

But these conveniences happen at a cost.

As children, we were taught not to talk with strangers – yet we jump in the car with them every time we order up an Uber.

Our risk tolerance has changed as a result of this easy access. This increased level of trust goes beyond transportation.

Airbnb requires users to operate on this level of trust, offering an alternative to hotel stays. We’re now willing to stay in the home of a perfect stranger.

Netflix and Content Consumption

Netflix offers cable cord cutters a world of programming at their fingertips.

They’ve now invested more money in original programming, as well – giving customers a unique incentive to subscribe. 

When entire television series are available at the push of a button, customers don’t need to wait a week to see the next episode.

It’s now easy and convenient to binge watch a series.

Algorithms are busy picking recommended movies and shows based on our watch history.

They’re also using automatic play features so that the next show begins when the last one ended. Content can even start the moment we open Netflix.

For products such as Netflix, success is measured by the amount of time a customer spends using the product. All of the above is designed to keep you for longer amounts of time.

While our selection of content is greater than ever before, easier access to content often leads to more consumption.

We are spending more time in passive forms of entertainment than any previous generation.

Facebook, and the Silo Effect

Facebook has essentially become the world’s largest rolodex.

Life changes like graduating from school, leaving previous jobs, or simply advancing from one station to the next no longer mean we have to lose contact with those closest to us.

Facebook offers us a way to share the most meaningful moments and stay in contact.

Like the Netflix example above, Facebook’s prime objective is to keep us on the site for longer periods of time.

One key method for accomplishing this is displaying updates from the people we agree with most.

If you read more politically conservative articles – you’ll largely see conservative posts. If you’ve shown to be liberal, you’ll largely see liberal posts.

People feel most comfortable among like-minded peers.

But at the same time, it deepens a feeling of political tribalism.

We are willingly led into a silo where everyone agrees with us.

When we are presented with opposing viewpoints, this can deepen our level of outrage. Facebook can narrow our viewpoints and control the content we are exposed to online.

Twitter, and Short Attention Span Theater

Twitter has become a real-time news agent, making it possible to instantaneously spread information 280 characters at a time.

It also morphed into a platform for organizing political change around the world.

When major news events happen, Twitter puts them in the hands of the average consumer in a matter of seconds.

However, consuming bite-sized nuggets of information at this pace has a long-term effect on the brain.

The more often people participate in quick and meaningless tasks, the shorter our attention spans get, making it harder to consume (and produce) in-depth content.

This shorter attention span also impacts the way we work.

Books like Cal Newport’s Deep Work explore the difficulty of doing quality work in an environment of distraction.

Anyone who’s tried to make sense of a large Twitter feed in real time knows how disorienting it can be.

But it’s not just Twitter.

Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media platforms vary their posting algorithms to find the perfect formula to keep you coming back.

Search engine search results can keep us searching.

In a world where massive amounts of data are thrown at us every minute, it’s much harder to explore worthwhile content in any depth.

Google, and Being Spread Thin

Google and other search engines give us answers at our fingertips.

We used to purchase encyclopedia sets, or go to the library to do research.

Now, Google provides easy access to large amounts of data from the convenience of your pocket.

We no longer need to memorize all 45 presidents or the names of all 50 state capitals. The answers are in our pocket.

This should free us up to do more critical thinking.

But we are also consuming more content than at any point before.

This leads to hurried and distracted thinking, and the need to float from one topic to another. Our brains are going a mile wide and an inch deep.

Instant access to everything spreads us thin.

The brightest innovators today work with the interest of these tech companies in mind.

Those interests, such as the measurement of time on site, may not mesh with yours.

It’s important to take an approach of intentionality to the content we consume, and the time we spend with technology.

Is what we’re doing the best use of our time?

If not, the impacts of technology on the way we think can be overwhelming.