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| F LoBuno |
THE ALGORITHM. You have heard the term (it is ubiquitous these days) but do you truly understand it and ALL the ramifications associated with it?
It may be
fair to say that everyone uses some form of social media whether it be
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or any other internet service. Of course this
means scrolling through the information provided by those platforms.
Occasionally we spot something that we think is worthy of more attention. So,
we stop to look more closely. And when we do, “The Algorithm” strikes. It is
one of the more important and controversial applications of Artificial
Intelligence (AI). Most simply put, it uses mathematic formulas to determine
where your preferences lie and then, going forward, precedes to flood your flow
of information with like-themed content. In other words, Big Brother Is
Watching – and they want your attention.
But “Beware
of what you wish for, because sometimes you get it.” Allow me to elaborate. I
love history – all kinds of it. So as a scroll through my Facebook feed, if I
see something that is related to history, I tend to stop and investigate
further. Now, this aspect has been wonderful. I have learned so much about the
world and how we have functioned within it through the centuries. And I will
continue to investigate and learn in this manner.
Now, here is
where the “good thing – bad thing” comes into play. I also fancy myself as a
student of human nature. With that in mind, I found myself interested in police
bodycam footage, particularly of DUI (Driving Under the Influence) traffic
stops. One of the things that was most fascinating to me was how the excessive
use of alcohol can transform normal, intelligent human beings into raging,
irrational, insufferable lunatics.
Consistent
with “The Algorithm” my feed is now barraged with police bodycam DUI videos of
screaming maniacs. And I must be honest; I must fight at not becoming obsessed
with them. The power of The Algorithm is strong. Now this has a two-fold
negative effect. First, it takes me away from other, more valuable information
that if you take a little time to find, can still be rewarding. Second, it
constantly reinforces the worst side of human nature. At some point I must
quell a building rage at people that I do not even know! That is bizarre. My
partner, Amanda, even warns me not to get too caught up with it because it changes
me when I do. And she is right. I feel myself actually getting angry at these
boorish people!
This is the
challenge of social media – the Yin Yang of it all. We can learn so much from
the Internet and it can bring us to new heights of communication. But it can
also be a deep rabbit hole where hatred, bigotry, and racism flourish will
equal vigor. It seems to me that the value of social media comes from its
ability to connect and inspire. But I suppose like all things in life (here’s
that Yin Yang thing again), it has a dark side, too.
Recently an
incident in Nyack highlighted this dichotomy. During a school trip to Nyack’s
Memorial Park, a group of schoolgirls from Monsey somehow (EXACTLY how remains
to be determined) managed to find their way into a large drainage tunnel that
is connected to the park. At some point, they went too far and had to be
extricated by emergency personnel. No one was seriously injured and,
miraculously, all of the girls (estimated at be about 40) emerged unharmed and
smiling.
Now, I know
this because I was there recording with my cellphone when they were rescued by
EMT’s, the police, and others from an emergency exit nearly a half-mile away
from where their journey began. Without judgement except to ask HOW this might
have happened and acknowledging the success of the rescue, I posted the video
to my Facebook page. As of this writing, that video has been viewed nearly
70,000 times! There have also been hundreds of comments on the thread that was
created. And in keeping with the theme of this article, many of the comments
have expressed, despite the strange circumstances, relief at the successful
outcome of the whole affair. First responders were also rightly lauded.
However, there was also a shocking amount of negative responses that were
hurtful, ugly, bigoted, and mean-spirited.
It leaves
one asking, “how could anyone produce that kind of vitriol from a situation
whose outcome could have been so much worse?” Well, one just needs to look at
my video to discover why. It seems by appearance (and later confirmed) that the
girls were from religious school in the ultra-orthodox community of Monsey, NY.
This very fact seemed to outrage people before virtually any of the facts
behind the incident were even fully known! One can only assume that these
people harbor a deep bigotry that simmers between the surface and “The
Algorithm” allows to be expressed. The fact that rage, yes rage, was heaped on
teenage schoolgirls is not only deplorable, it’s cowardly.
Now, I live
in Nyack and Rockland. I am fully aware of the increasing tension between the
growing, insular, ultra-orthodox community and the rest of the County. I am
concerned about that for many reasons, one of the biggest of which is the use
of The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) as a
cudgel by that community. And I have voiced that opinion in many forms.
However, THAT is a completely different issue. THIS is about the safety of
CHILDREN. Judging from some the comments posted, it’s fair to ask would the
response have been as vicious, this “targeted”, if it had been a bunch of
Catholic school boys? I suppose some even thought they were being “funny.” They
were not.
It is
certainly reasonable to question how this happened and who should ultimately
shoulder the responsibility. No one should be “laughing” this off or simple
dismiss it out of hand. However, remember, Beware The Algorithm: if you
put hate in, you will get hate back. If you look for the worst in people, you
will easily find it. And haven’t we all
had just about enough of that?