12 Talks on the Downsides of Social Media

This collection examines many of the overlooked downsides of social media. As social media, the Internet and technology swiftly moved into the lives of people all over the world, there has been a surplus of attention paid to the benefits; rarely are people discussing the ways it negatively impacts the world.

The speech by Eli Pariser, author of the award-winning book 'The Filter Bubble,' explains how an increased presence online can actually limit the information users can find when on the Internet. Websites work to deliver content that could be relevant to their visitors and therefore use stats and data accumulated over periods of long time. This means that the information isn't necessarily going to be what users were looking for.

Artist and computer scientist Jonathan Harris expresses his concern that social media networks and outlets portray people in inhumane and dishonest ways. People are misrepresented on social media and behave in ways they wouldn't in the real world.

Tim Richardson believes that social media does nothing for cultural differences. While social media has played an influential role in breaking down political barriers, much is lost when it comes to culture.

These are just some of the downsides of social media so be sure to take a look at the other speakers.