Page 28 - 170 Varsity ebook

26 / Our Community
26/Our Community

Journalism and Communication in they want to look at those num- the people who are addicted. It is
at the Chinese University of Hong bers, crave for those interactions, an interplay between the technol-
Kong points out that YouTube’s and try to look at those clips that ogy and the user,” Yang says.
personalisation algorithm makes go viral online,” he says.
In a Netflix documentary The
Social Dilemma launched in 2020,
former Google design ethicist
Tristan Harris, explains about per-
suasive design technology.

"Persuasive technology is a sort
of design intentionally applied to
the extreme, where we really want
to modify someone's behavior. We
want them to take this action. We
want them to keep doing this with
their fingers," he says.

“We can demand that these
products be designed humanely.
We can demand to not be treated
as an extractable resource," the
Centre for Humane Technology
founder adds.

Y outube Shor ts are r apid-fire videos that last up to 60 seconds. The f eature was launched
Youtube Shorts are rapid-fire videos that last up to 60 seconds. The feature was launched
Edited by Ryan Teh
Edited by Ryan T
eh
by YouTube in September.
b y Y ouTube in September . Sub-edited by Sunnie Wu
Sub-edited by Sunnie W
u
use of users’ previous experienc- “By conducting thousands of
es and data to predict what they user tests, interface designers can
might like. find the so-called “optimal inter-
face” that best serves their inter-
“Personalisation algorithms ests. Like an interface that keeps
facilitate users’ flow status so that people on that page for the longest
people are fully immersed in the period ” he adds.
environment and they cannot feel
time fly by. The companies want The computational social sci-
users to spend more time because
time is traffic, and this traffic can ence professional highlights that
be turned into advertising revenue technology is not the only thing to
The popularity of YouTube Shorts raises con-
- that’s their income,” Yang says. blame. The popularit y of Y ouTube Shor ts r aises con -
oung adults.
or y
cerns about addiction f
cerns about addiction for young adults.
The social scientist adds that the “When we think about addic-
companies exploit users’ intuitive tion, we also have to think about “I scored straight
nature to capture information. the flip-side of the coin. People As in Year One.
may want to use technology to
“Users are very reactive to social avoid certain things by immersing Now B is my
endorsement. That is why when themselves in a place where they average grade”
they see ‘Likes’ or ‘Views’ coming cannot feel the reality. It is always