Recently, I have been reflecting on the ethical issues of using technology in our lives. Two scientists came to mind: the physicist Werner Heisenberg: the observer influences the object observed, or the indeterminacy principle, and the anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski with his influence of the researcher on the community being studied.
How does this relate to technology? In a way it does. The researcher and the observer are indispensable in the study and description of communities and the phenomena within them. The situation changes dramatically when advanced technolgoy appears. Technology, which should be the observer and researcher, becomes an external force, shaping our actions and social structure.
We already have WEB3 communities, and recently points have become popular. Something I am ambivalent about. On the one hand, it's great to be able to be rewarded for my contribution to the community, and on the other hand, there's a certain compulsion to co-create. I feel like I'm starting to lose my freedom and selfless motivation. What has been distorted in WEB2 - institutional piracy - can turn into the antithesis, which is that everything has value. However, in reality, not everything we do has value. The truth is that if something only benefits us, at the expense of others, then in the context of the community it has no value and is abusive. However, because we live in a world where our motivations can be masked and are virtually unverifiable, there can be an escalation of selfishness under the cover of altruism.
Li Jin, who points out the dangers of reward and points systems in online communities. She also says that a points system can have good consequences. However, she stresses that such systems can lead to a distortion of participants' motivation.
Technology should support, not addict communities. I look at the operation of some of web3 dapps and feel that I have to participate in the creation of this app, even when I don't feel like it. The system is designed in such a way that it doesn't encourage, in my opinion, it forces you to be active and participate to unlock the next levels. And that is that a hierarchy of users is starting to emerge. I have nothing against hierarchies, but I am puzzled by the motivation behind such actions. If I don't understand something, please help me to understand the good coming from this system.
I wonder why, despite our difficulties in creating equitable social systems, we expect technology to be equitable in itself and solve these problems for us?
I think that in this rush of innovation and fascinating solutions, we forget that it is about technoloigy serving us, not us serving it.
I would be very happy to talk to you about this topic.
