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It’s Wednesday, May 1st. And today we have a long but very worthy read.
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In my last issue, I posed a question: Just how much bullsh*t am I perpetuating in the world?
This has led me to a new, urgent perspective on community.
Let’s talk about Digital Crazy.
A Drama in Seven Algorithms
If you haven't checked out Wellness, I recommend it. On the surface, it appears to be about a marriage on the rocks, but it slowly reveals itself to be a profound statement on societal and human behavior.
Two of the characters, Lawrence and his son Jack, clash over Lawrence's rampant sharing of conspiracy theories on Facebook, each considering the other naive and ignorant.
In one surprising chapter, the book turns technical, describing seven real algorithms that manipulate us daily without our awareness, connecting each to Jack and Lawrence's story.
EdgeRank Algorithm
Tracks your interactions and preferences, curating what you see based on your behavior.
When Lawrence joins Facebook, he knows little about the platform and does very little with it. Facebook struggles to analyze his limited activity. Eventually, it suggests he friend his son, Jack, which he does. The two have been estranged, so Lawrence immediately begins sending apologetic messages, but without understanding how Facebook works, he is actually posting all of these messages publicly on his feed.
Needy User Algorithm
Boosts visibility for users craving more interaction and feeling neglected, ensuring they remain engaged.
Jack coaches his father in Facebook etiquette but tells him little about his life. Because of his limited engagement, Facebook seeks to force interaction between Lawrence and others.
Lawrence is categorized as a Needy User, whose posts are moved by the algorithm to the top of his friends’ feed, so they are sure to see them. Lawrence is thrilled by the validation and becomes a frequent poster.
When he eventually loses Needy User status, Lawrence wonders why no one seems to comment on or “like” his posts as frequently anymore. In truth, they are simply no longer being pushed to the top.
Pattern Recognition Algorithm
Identifies trends in your interactions to customize your content.
The algorithm works to identify overlap between the things Lawrence engages with and the things other people that appear to be like him engage with.
One pattern of engagement is with content about sick children; as Lawrence is shown more and more such content, he begins to believe that there is an unusually high number of sick children.
Attributing this not to the skewing of reality by Facebook’s algorithm, but to an epidemic, Lawrence joins health-related conspiracy groups when Facebook suggests them.
PageRank Algorithm
A digital "popularity contest" that influences which websites appear first based on their link popularity.
As Lawrence dives into conspiracies, his Google searches reinforce his beliefs by prioritizing similar conspiracy content, keeping him in a feedback loop of misinformation.
Jack is not aware of any of this because he does not see the same content his father engages with. Jack becomes aware of Lawrence’s conspiracy theories when Lawrence posts about the world ending that year. He starts becoming both infuriated with and embarrassed by his father.
Deep Learning Artificial Neural Network
Mimics the way human brains work to make sense of complex data patterns. Deep learning is used for tasks like voice recognition, image analysis, and making recommendations.
This algorithm intensifies Lawrence’s belief in various conspiracies, trapping him in a cycle of engagement that profits the platform through ad revenue.
A similar process is happening for Jack, who becomes more and more enraged by the content he sees. Jack and his father continuously debate this conspiracy theory, engaging with each other more than they ever have before.
This leads to…
Screen Interaction Algorithm
Tracks physical interactions with devices to tailor content that maximizes screen time.
Lawrence intends to write a long message to Jack apologizing for his neglect throughout Jack’s childhood and for the way their rekindled relationship has gotten derailed. But each time he sits down at his computer, he is quickly distracted by and then sucked into the alarming content he is shown.
The Screen Interaction Algorithm records data from his mouse, which tracks his physical movements and correlates them to his mood; as a result, it feeds him more content that causes Lawrence to interact more frenetically (read: emotional outrage).
Chatbot
Simulates human conversation to enhance engagement without understanding the generated content.
Neither Jack nor Lawrence is fully aware of the way in which bots infect Facebook, acting as real users who can engage in conversation, though they cannot comprehend the content they are generating.
Woof.
My reaction to this chapter was twofold: first, I felt a sense of shame. There are loved ones in my own world who have baffled me with their beliefs and convictions. I’ve been angry, ashamed, and exhausted by their ideologies.
Next, I felt a sense of being violated. So much is happening behind the curtains of my digital existence that I don’t understand. And it’s separating me from other people. People I care about.
“April. This is interesting. But I signed up to learn about community and business strategy.”
Sharing these algorithms without human context makes it hard to understand the impact of our digital behaviors and more to the point, how communities can either break or reinforce the madness.
There is an entire digital ecosystem working against us. Because outrage and anger are so much more accessible than calm, productive conversation, there is no incentiviation for any platform to support a more moderate, humane approach.
Communities are a neutral tool. They can go very wrong. They may also be the solution.
Community as the Antidote
Community can be the antidote to divisiveness, plucking people right out of the algorithmic web and into a space where there is agency and productive discourse. And it doesn’t always need to be about radical transformation.
We need more brand communities.
One of our clients, Fangoria has been around since the 70s and publishes a quarterly magazine for horror and gore enthusiasts. They wanted to launch a community but there were still questions about who it was for and what the value was.
During our research phase, we discovered how much vitriol invaded horror forums. People were constantly bickering and belittling each other’s opinions.
We created a counter-culture community experience; a place where subscribers could come and be protected from the nonsense. We promised a zero-tolerance policy against trolls and gatekeeping.
I’ve never seen such instant and enthusiastic engagement, with multiple members commenting on how much they’d always wanted a space like this, a community where they could really nerd out on their favorite horror movies without judgement.
Were we transforming their world? Saving the planet?
No, but we created something that brought real joy and a sense of belonging (which also meant lower churn and higher LTV).
It’s rough out there, and the answer is community. The more thoughtful, integrable people willing to build community, the less we’ll need to rely on platforms whose only goal is to capitalize off its users, whatever the cost.
Onward,
April
We will convert your customers into a thriving brand community. LTV and influence go up, churn goes down!
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