I have just finished watching the film “The Circle” and I feel it definitely needs sharing with the people on Steemit as it really hits close to what Steemit is about about how social media in the wrong hands can go very bad.
After looking online, the movie has had mixed reviews however I enjoyed it thoroughly and related to it on a level that reminded me of the reasons why I joined Steemit in the first place.
Image from thecircle.movie
Without ruining the plot so people can go and watch it themselves. The Circle is about a girl, Mae, who takes a new job at the most successful social media on the planet called “The Circle. At first it looks like the best job in the world and the platform itself is looking to do great things.
The movie progresses to explain that the Circle has that much user data they can actually start to look at using the platform to allow governments to vote, store medical details, track health and know everybody’s location. The story peaks when the CEO of the Circle announces a new camera system that can be placed anywhere and is able to track people and monitor pretty much anything globally. Basically, it removes the world’s privacy and pitches it as a good thing.
The interesting turn in it is that the founders actually sit above the system and whilst they want the world tracked, they do not track themselves. This is the point the hits home for Steemit and what I want to talk about.
Social Media will be great. But a decentralised system is key
There are a lot of features in the Circle I see as being an amazing thing. If there was one system that could accurately track voting for governments, that would be phenomenal. It would end corruption in votes, kill off dictators and stop the constant battle on whether elections were won fairly or not.
Tracking health would be amazing. If the user gave permission it would allow paramedics instant access to information that could save lives. All of this could be a good thing but there is one major point.
This kind of insane amount of tracking cannot exist on a centralised system.
I can’t ever see a company or government being fully trusted with the level of tracking The Circle goes into. Governments and companies are always driven by one thing and that is money. As long as that goal exists it will not be possible for it to function correctly. There would always be limitations, censorship and rules that would ensure that the companies brand, shareholders or whatever else that could be harmed. Look at YouTube for example, they are censoring content left right and centre just because advertising kicked off.
In my opinion, the perfect solution to this would be The Circle on a blockchain.
A blockchain makes true global social media possible
We are in an age where users are getting smarter about the data they give away to companies and are now understanding that social media giants like Facebook are not actually providing a free service. We are actually paying with our data that they are then selling off to the highest bidders. As more people become aware I think we will see a bit of a turn around in social media until something changes.
The advancements of social media should continue but not in the current model. A model should exist where people can choose the data they share, what data is accessed and when it’s needed in a secure manner. This model I only see possible on a blockchain.
Looking at a world where something like “The Circle” could exist on a blockchain would provide all the benefits of social media without completely selling off the user. Coming back to my main point, I think Steemit is already part way there and as it grows in features we will start to see a much better and more controlled social space. Companies like Facebook will have to come to terms eventually with this and either react or die.
Either way, if you are here on Steemit because of the decentralised aspects, definitely give “The Circle” a watch. It’s now on Netflix and opens your eyes to exactly what it could be like in the future and how it needs to change.
Trailer