We need to rethink social media before it's too late. We've accepted a Faustian bargain | Jeff Orlowski

A business model that alters the way we think, act, and live our lives has us heading toward dystopia

When people envision technology overtaking society, many think of The Terminator and bulletproof robots. Or Big Brother in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, a symbol of external, omnipotent oppression.

But in all likelihood, dystopian technology will not strong-arm us. Instead, we'll unwittingly submit ourselves to a devil's bargain: freely trade our subconscious preferences for memes, our social cohesion for instant connection, and the truth for what we want to hear.