The Social Reckoning is a ‘surreal’ portrait of social media’s harms, scientist says

Aaron Sorkin’s new film, The Social Reckoning, follows the story of Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee who exposed the company’s awareness of the harm its platforms caused to some users. Haugen, portrayed by Mikey Madison, leaked internal data to journalist Jeff Horwitz, played by Jeremy Allen White, leading to the Wall Street Journal’s 2021 investigation, “The Facebook Files.” This investigation spurred congressional probes and lawsuits against Facebook, highlighting the urgent need to study social media’s impact on mental health, particularly among children. The film also explores Facebook’s 2018 shift to an algorithm focused on “meaningful social interaction” (MSI), which prioritized user engagement over passive scrolling. This change led to the promotion of more extreme content, as it generated more interaction, whether positive or negative. The film raises important questions about the responsibilities of social media companies and the effects of their algorithms on society. QUESTION: How might the focus on user engagement over content quality affect the way people interact on social media?