As Kassidy and I set out to build Superbrain Organics, our digital marketing strategy was a topic of key concern.
In recent years our world has become ever more consumed by the digital realm. We are now so reliant on our devices and technology that it is easy to dismiss digital addiction as the sign of a strong work ethic, or a healthy social life. Despite such rationalizations, nearly all of us have experienced firsthand the draining and dysfunctional impact that heavy device and social media use has on our mental health and quality of life.
From the beginning, we realized that social media is a double-edged sword, although we didn’t understand that one side is much sharper than the other. As we explored the true cost of today’s “free” platforms, we learned that there is a steep unseen price paid by every user.
We were first introduced to this stark reality through the documentary film The Social Dilemma. This film considers the incentives behind our modern attention economy, revealing that social media companies exist to serve their true customers: the advertisers. The true product is not simply the posting of ads, it is an ever increasing ability to manipulate user behavior below the threshold of conscious awareness.
Curious to learn more about this relationship, I dedicated my final year at San Diego State University to researching and writing my master’s thesis1 on this topic. Alongside The Social Dilemma, this thesis was inspired by a book2 my professor recommended that reveals the perils of our modern digital economy.
This economy is now controlled by a few giant corporations, who make the vast majority of their revenue by selling ads (in 2024 roughly 96% of Meta’s revenue came from advertising). The better these companies get at addicting us to their platforms and predicting our future behavior, the more they profit. The best way to predict future behavior is to intervene at the source and shape it by designing a digital environment of ambient and pervasive manipulation.
The impact this has on user health and quality of life is irrelevant under this business model; the incentive is not to improve user wellbeing, but to maximize user predictability and associated profits. Critically, all of this happens out of sight and out of mind, although some users may feel wary as "personalized" ads stalk them throughout their digital world.
We believe this model is deceitful, dysfunctional, and harmful to humanity. Moreover, we recognize this model is particularly harmful to children whose brains are actively developing under its influence.
As a kid-friendly food business dedicated to creating a more compassionate world through nutrition and education, social media in its current form does not align with our core principles. Thus, Superbrain Organics will not be active on social media or engage in any paid digital advertising.
Instead, we will invest in building real-world community at local tasting events and creating the best organic food products for people and planet.
Sincerely,
David
1) Inspiring Mindful Consumption with Compassionate AI — SDSU Library LINK
2) The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Dr. Shoshana Zuboff
