In March, Meta and YouTube were found guilty in California and New Mexico of creating a platform that is designed to addict and harm young users. Now, Meta is likely to face trial for the same reason in Vermont.

But the question remains: How was social media designed to cause harm and addict users?

The answer: Using basic psychological principles.

With notifications and the infinite scroll, one may just accept these features as the prime culprits. But still, what is it about these features that is so persuasive that users cannot resist them?

When developing these features, Zuckerberg and his fellow social media founders didn’t need to dig that far. The answers can be found in an undergraduate Psychology 101 course.

The psychological principles that are present in social media’s design include Operant Conditioning, the Big 5 Trait Approach, and Confirmation Bias.

Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning, which comes from B.F. Skinner concludes that when an individual performs a behavior and is rewarded with something they enjoy, their likelihood of repeating that behavior increases. After the reward is received the first time, individuals continue expecting this reward every time the behavior is performed.

In a social media context, if one opened Instagram right now, they would be greeted with a slew of new content to engage with. Each time they repeat this behavior, their minds subconsciously expect new, engaging content.

This reward can also be delayed until right before a user leaves the site through variable-rate reinforcement. Variable-rate reinforcement is when the algorithm detects when a user is about to leave a site and rewards them with either more likes on a recent post or new, engaging content.

In a social media context, Operant Conditioning is responsible for the dopamine hit when using the platform.

The Big 5 Trait Approach

The next principle, part of a broader theme in personality theory, is the Big Five Trait Approach. The Big Five Trait approach seeks to understand one’s different levels of core personality traits. These traits, commonly remembered as the acronym OCEAN, are openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

For the sake of this article, I won’t dive into the definitions of each, but these traits reflect how one approaches others and engages with the world.

Social media algorithms generally use the Big Five trait approach to learn one’s different levels of OCEAN. For instance, every time a user engages with a post on social media, the algorithm rates their different OCEAN levels to learn what content to recommend in the future.

If a user engages with recommended content, the social media algorithm learns more about them to understand their personality better. This creates a circular loop, causing users to stay on the platform longer than intended.

The infinite scroll, paired with a deep understanding of user personality, is responsible for the time users spend online and for how they continuously find content that reflects their interests.

Confirmation Bias

The final principle, Confirmation Bias, refers to one’s natural inclination to seek or accept only evidence that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs. Equipped with information that validates their beliefs, an individual will deny any contradictory evidence that might dispute those beliefs.

Regarding social media, Confirmation Bias operates similarly to the Big Five Trait Approach: the more content one engages with over time, the more the algorithm becomes aware of an individual’s beliefs. Once the algorithm has an idea of which types of content an individual is more likely to engage with, it will continue to send the user content that supports and reinforces their beliefs.

This practice, then, guides users “into online ‘filter bubbles’ in which they feel comfortable and ideologically aligned” (Deibert, 2019, paras. 29).

As algorithms nudge users towards specific content they know they will engage with, this only reinforces an individual’s preexisting beliefs and tends to lead to greater disregard for opposing opinions.

Confirmation Bias often widens gaps between parties with different ideologies and makes compromise harder to achieve.

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Through features such as infinite scroll, Snapchat streaks, likes, and content suggestions, these basic psychological principles have rewired individuals’ brains to be constantly hooked on the online world.

Users lack autonomy over their online use, as it’s swayed by a company’s own best interests.

In light of Meta being found liable, its counterargument that it is not at fault for harmful content will not hold in any future case. These three psychological principles are baked into the design of social media platforms, and regardless of whether the content is meant for humor or malicious intent, both are addictive.

When academics, advocates, ethicists, and parents call for change to social media, the real ask is to change the platform’s design and restore individual agency to users.

Resources:

Burr, C., Cristianini, N., & Ladyman, J. (2018). An analysis of the interaction between intelligent software agents and human users. Minds and Machines, 28(4), 735–774.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11023-018-9479-0.

Deibert, R. J. (2019). Three painful truths about social media. Journal of Democracy, 30(1), 25–39. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2019.0002.

Karumur, R. P., Nguyen, T. T., & Konstan, J. A. (2017). Personality, User Preferences, and Behavior in Recommender Systems. Information Systems Frontiers, 20(6), 1241–1265.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-017-9800-0.

Lilienfeld, S. O., Lynn, S. J., & Namy, L. L. (2017). Psychology: from inquiry to understanding.Pearson.

McCann, V . (2017). Human Relations: The Art and Science of Building Effective Relationships.Pearson.

Zuboff, S. (2019). The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. Hachette Book Group.

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As I reflect on the recent court decisions against Meta in California and Arizona, it feels like a victory, but I am still left asking, “What’s next?”

I grew up in the age of social media. Facebook launched when I was 7 years old, and Instagram when I was 10. I remember first creating an account when they came out, but I quickly lost interest.

While my parents didn’t have any rules against social media, they were not overly awed by the platforms either. Even with no restrictions, I still had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right about these platforms, and despite peer pressure from my friends, I didn’t rejoin until I was 17.

As I dived into the social media world, the next three years also consisted of learning about social media’s addictive design from Tristan Harris and researching the connection between online overuse and mental health.

Despite having done the research, I still fell victim to its powers.

In spring 2020, with my mental health already a bit haggard from the pandemic, a post on Instagram sent me into a tailspin. Someone I loosely knew from high school was out at a lake, appearing to be having the time of her life.

For the next few days, every time I opened Instagram, I felt an onslaught of emotions, as if everyone else’s life seemed more exciting. Soon after, exhausted by this emotional media overload, I deleted all social media for three months. While I didn’t feel great to begin with, social media was only making the situation worse.

As I kept silent, I found my way back to myself. I took up running, discovered innovative ways to see my friends while social distancing, and fell in love with a new journaling practice.

Today, six years later, I am back on Instagram, but I try to use it more mindfully with daily time limits and following more positive content. Equipped with my personal experiences and all that I have learned on the topic through my undergrad and master’s programs, I see these recent court cases as both a breakthrough and a stalemate.

A breakthrough that now families are finally getting retribution for the pain these platforms caused. As well as a win for researchers, advocates, and lawmakers who, for years, have warned about the grip that social media has on us. These cases now give us a precedent to drive further change.

But as Meta and Google look to appeal and deny any wrongdoing, changes to the platform’s design are still not being made.

Features such as recommendation algorithms, infinite scroll, notifications, and filters, all of which contributed to the guilty verdicts, are still in place today. Every time a child logs on, they still experience the platform’s addictive qualities and recommendation algorithms that expose them to potential child sexual exploitation.

Meta is trying to prove that the protections it has put in place are sufficient. However, as of April 10th, they are now required to appear in a Massachusetts court for another youth addiction lawsuit.

While parents and lawmakers have so far seen positive growth with new regulations introduced in schools and countrywide age limits, what about the 15-year-old right now sitting in their bedroom, gripped by the infinite scroll of content?

If these platforms took responsibility, would they do the work needed today to protect a child tomorrow?

I was able to pull myself out of social media’s grasp, but as I think back to my twenty-year-old self, I worry for those who cannot pull themselves away, and what will be there to protect them.

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With 92,000 fewer jobs reported in February and companies cutting staff to adapt to AI-driven business models, the current job market is one of the most competitive we have seen in a while.

As more people apply to a single job posting than before, job seekers are now seeking new creative ways to stand out. Prior to the current market, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) have been commonplace in the hiring process. However, as Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems become smarter, the rules change, and applicants need to adapt.

While it is easy to update your resume once and only pull it out when you are looking for a new job, real success comes from a continuously updated resume.

For those looking for a job or need to update their resumes, these five best practices are even more relevant right now.

(As a disclaimer, these tips may seem basic, but AI has been taught on the basic principles, so adhering to them as closely as possible will help you get past the initial checks.)

Easy-to-Read Structure

AI systems are trained to identify patterns in data. The fastest way for these systems to pick up on the pattern is through an easy-to-read or easy-to-navigate structure. This equates to using headers, bullet points, and occasionally short paragraphs, all of which can be parsed easily. While this may seem obvious, it’s best not to stray from the standard format.

The typical resume format is:

• First and last name

• Contact information

• Brief summary of who you are and your intent on applying, typically two sentences max.

• Work Experience

• Education

  • If you are a recent graduate, include your education above your work experience.

• Skills

Overall, your resume should not include graphic design elements, your headshot, or anything else the system cannot read.

By using the standard structure, an ATS reading your resume will know exactly where to look to get the most basic but fundamental information on you, who you are, and what you have done.

Optimize for Keywords

Every single resume submitted to a job posting needs to be specific and aligned to the job one is applying for. While it is a painstakingly long process to tailor your resume to every single job posting, it shows that an applicant has taken the extra step and is sufficiently interested in the industry.

To start the optimization process, review the job description and identify the three most frequently used keywords. These keywords can be secret clues to identify what the hiring committee is looking for. Once you’ve selected the top keywords, frame your experience throughout the summary, work experience, and skills to reflect them.

Tailored to the Industry

If tailoring one’s resume to a job description wasn’t challenging enough, more job descriptions indicate that companies want individuals with relevant industry experience.

While much of the industry tailoring might come from the companies and job titles listed on your resume, one or two strategically placed industry jargon terms hammer home your expertise. The industry jargon in the tailored resume should match the jargon in the job description.

For example, those specialized in the consumer industry might use terms like CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), while more business-focused industries might use terms like enterprise or Advanced Business Methods.

Communicate Results

The number-one thing ATS looks for in a resume is results! These results serve as the bullet points under each job title.

To help explain this a bit more, a result might be: Developed a social media campaign for Instagram and TikTok for the newly released protein bar, leading to a 75% in engagement and witnessed a $1 million increase in sales.

The basic framework for communicating results is to start with a strong action word, followed by the task, and then the result. You might also want to include some extra information, such as a specific strategy you implemented or a challenge you overcame.

While not every achievement might have a numerical result, also think about how this played into an organization’s overall goal, for instance, did the relationships you maintained build a positive client-facing experience, or did the idea for a new code you made solve a technical bug no one else could fix?

This is where you want to put your thinking cap on and communicate your results in a pattern AI can recognize.

Keep it concise

On average, a recruiter looks at a resume for an average of 7 seconds. This is not enough time to read everything on the page, and it certainly is not enough time to even look at a second page. In short, keep your resume to one page. Remove any unnecessary words, limit your work experience to three bullet points per job, and include additional resume sections, such as accomplishments or volunteer work, if they fit on one page.

You might have the urge to fill every open space with text, but too much text on one page can also become too overwhelming to a recruiter and introduce more instances where an ATS makes mistakes in inputting your information into a recruiter’s system.

So make sure to use some white space, reduce unnecessary words, and keep it on one page.

The art of resume writing that can get through any ATS takes a while to master. It requires a lot of trial and error to figure out the best way to communicate your experience in your field and industry. With AI systems always learning, be prepared to stay on top of the trends and update your skills constantly.

Please comment if you feel any tips or tricks are missing.

Additional Resources:

• Guide to Writing a Resume from Dickinson College

• Tips to Make Your Resume Stand Out on Indeed

• Create a Strong Resume from Harvard Career Services

• How to make a Resume with Examples from Indeed

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The average human attention span is 8.25 seconds. Yes, even smaller than that of a goldfish. But for companies trying to build awareness, this has become even harder, as they must contend not only with social media algorithms but also with their audience’s limited attention span.

Now, enter Generative AI, which can rapidly produce content in seconds. AI now lets everyone create attention-grabbing content that looks decent. However, companies and brands are struggling to maintain the same level of interest among their audiences.

To maintain and grow awareness, brands need content that is relevant and connects with the audience on a human level. This is where storytellers come in.

The National Storytelling Network defines storytelling as the “interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination.”

A story is much more than the TV and movies we watch, the books we read, and the music we listen to.

A story can be an advertisement for an Oura Ring, featuring five people who now live their lives to the max thanks to better health. Throughout the ad, our imaginations may wander to what our lives would be like with an Oura Ring, to what it would feel like, and to how we would feel better than we have ever felt before. This story, as portrayed on screen and in our minds, encourages us to purchase the Oura Ring for ourselves.

Storytellers convince their audience that a new idea, product, event, or way of thinking could change their lives. They know what it is their audience cares about, what they want to achieve, and why it matters to them. They understand the human experience, enabling them to connect with others in ways AI cannot.

With more companies adopting AI, there has been a resurgence in demand for humanities skills. Alongside this, companies have noticed fluctuations in audience attention and are now hiring storytellers to address it.

Trained with a critical eye, storytellers know when a key moment that could convince their audience is left out, and when part of the story needs to be re-emphasized.

In addition to having a clear idea of the message itself, storytellers can determine the tone to use so the audience responds with the intended impact.

While the message, tone, and impact can be fed into an AI system, which can spit out a piece of content, a storyteller is still needed to determine the company’s “Hero Story.”

Even when AI creates an output that reflects these principles, the text still needs to be altered, as AI cannot always convey the message in an informative, persuasive, and eye-opening manner.

What AI systems lack, which is absolutely essential for getting the message to the audience, is an understanding of the audience itself. As a human storyteller, one can interact with, communicate to, and experience what the audience experiences in ways that AI cannot.

This in-person interaction cannot be replicated by technology.

With decisions largely based on emotions, incorporating the human component or the “why” behind a company’s mission is what brings the audience’s needs to the forefront. When companies try to change opinions, the audience must be kept in mind.

While we see people asking AI to take on the role of a storyteller or a brand manager, the output lacks the emotional component. These factors cause an audience to change their minds. Other times, there might be an emotional component, but it is overemphasized or made too sensational, which could actually cause the audience to react the opposite way.

This is not to say that AI shouldn’t be used at all, but it should be used with a storyteller driving the message.

Storytellers are creative individuals, grounded in human experience. Generative AI is a human-built system trained on data to recognize patterns and generate outputs based on the information provided.

Storytellers have lived the human experience. Generative AI has been taught a selective view of the human experience. Audiences today know what content attempts to understand human life and what content accurately represents it.

With only 8.25 seconds to make an impression, messages that reflect human life are the ones that stick. To achieve this, we need storytellers.

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Since the age of two, there has always been a pen in one hand and a book in the other. Twenty-three years later, that has turned into a communications career in tech, and a forever love of learning. As I conquer America’s corporate world, I continue to miss the act of learning and sharing knowledge.

The 5 pm Edit is meant to be a place for professionals who never stop learning, even when they are no longer in school and the work day is over.

Drawing on my training as a social scientist and communicator, The 5 pm Edit is for those wanting to up their understanding of the communications industry and the role behavioral science plays in everyday life. Plus, expect some career-focused content to be thrown in, as professional growth also doesn’t stop after 5 pm.

You can expect a new article every two weeks.

A little bit more about me:

What did I study in school?

During my undergraduate studies at St. Thomas Aquinas College, I studied Communication Arts, which provided me with a strong foundation in applied communication. Following my undergraduate studies, I began my training as a social scientist at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where I earned an MSc in Media and Communications (Research).

Favorite Business book?

On Brand by Aliza Licht

What got me into studying the intersection of tech and media psychology?

It was the junior year of high school, and 60 Minutes that evening broadcast a story interviewing Tristan Harris, a former Google Employee, now Co-founder of The Center for Humane Technology, who was talking about how smartphones are designed to addict us. Since then, I have completed multiple research projects trying to understand the link between technology, communications, mental health, and behavior.

What do I do when I’m not working?

You can usually find me reading a book, typically I read two to three different ones at a time, whipping up my latest culinary creation, or journaling away.

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