With the erosion of individuals’ ability to think critically, there has been a significant decline in their resistance to questioning the information presented to them. This situation is perceived as a threat at every point in our lives. Beyond this, the loss of objectivity of truth and the inability to safely digest it has created gray areas where many institutions and organizations can benefit. In this new reality, masses and majorities have begun to position themselves as institutions that validate truths.
In the Post-Truth era, it is evident that emotional responses and personal beliefs are less effective than objective actions in shaping public opinion on a particular issue. Consequently, truth is no longer singular; it rests on the fingertips of thought leaders and opinion makers. In this period, it is not what is true but what is closest to us that is considered correct, leading to mass-based hyper-normalizations over time. As people begin to abandon deep analysis and adopt one-dimensional thinking, they will eventually become trapped within echo chambers shaped by past experiences or their environment and will start to be “algorithmized” by these algorithms. This highly visible yet superficial area is sociologically akin to an oxygen tank. Any deduction made without understanding society will be incorrect because this situation has become a mass reality. It can no longer be illuminated solely by psychology or technology alone.
According to Tristan Harris, one of the 25 leading scientists influencing the world, the new target of major tech brands is to “Leverage people’s psychological weaknesses to win the attention race.”
The most exploited weakness by brands at this point is the drive for “Social Approval,” the need for societal validation. This has been considered one of humanity’s most vulnerable points for centuries. Particularly, the need for peer approval and admiration becomes a significant problem in young people’s lives, sometimes reaching levels that necessitate anxiety treatment. Brands aim to exploit this pain point. To this end, they use psychological and sociological sciences as effectively as possible, in addition to their software and technological developments. Tristan Harris summarizes this situation as follows: “The people behind the screen are more powerful than those in front of it.”