Interview with Michael Thate: Social Media Engagement
I interviewed Dr. Michael Thate from Princeton University a couple of weeks ago about the Facebook whistleblower situation and how it relates to social media engagement. Michael is a friend and colleague, and he shares my fascination with the subjects of attention and value. As an associate research scholar, he has experience working with clients on brand strategy, communication, and corporate trust. Additionally, he received a Ph.D. in Religious Studies and Ethical Philosophy from Durham University in 2012. So, he’s someone who knows about ethics and business.
Our conversation morphed from talking about the Facebook whistleblower scandal to a commentary on the ethical dilemmas Big Tech and social media companies face today. Consequently, we identified social media engagement as a key instigator. I thought you’d enjoy these key points from our discussion.
The Problem of Social Media Engagement
According to Michael, these are the provocative issues resulting from the Facebook whistleblower stepping forward:
Everybody is playing the engagement game, but Facebook plays it the best.
Facebook’s willingness to “ignore real harm” is less concerning than their ultimate pursuit of engagement.
Critiques of individual big companies will not amount to broader systemic change.
If social media companies are making more profit from higher consumer engagement on their platforms, then it makes sense that they would prioritize engagement over other methods that slow profits down. The ethical dilemma comes into play when consumer well-being gets compromised by the pursuit of engagement.
Companies are prioritizing engagement in today’s society… but over what else, and at what expense?
Solutions for Companies’ Ethical Dilemmas
How do we hold the big social media companies accountable? Can we do so without federal regulation? Can we analyze the “real harm” of a company’s goods, services, and message manipulation? These problems will only increase as the younger generation continues to use social media for buying and selling, growing their networks, getting jobs, and connecting with others.
In our conversation on Forbes, Michael Thate answers these questions and goes into depth on three different kinds of audits he proposes for companies. If you’re interested in exploring this issue further, I hope you’ll read it and let me know what you think.
P.S. Looking for ways to enjoy your own work life? Check out my recent blog post about avoiding burnout and the TEDx Talk I recently gave on that subject.