One To One

Have you ever scrolled through social media and been surprised by an advert for something you were looking at the other day? This is no accident. Every view, every like, every click is stored, assessed and calculated, and allows the companies who run these platforms to target you with increasingly accurate advertising. But if you're not paying for the platform you're using, is there anything wrong with that? Well yes, according to Tristan Harris, one of the contributors to the successful Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma. Social media may have started as a means of staying in touch with friends but it has led to multi-million pound businesses which use an economic model that competes for our attention, and Tristan fears this is doing society irrevocable harm. Marcus Smith is a content creator from Bristol and a digital native. He is fascinated by technology's impact on us and has studied the effects of online gambling on young people. For this series of 'One to One' Marcus is looking at the 'tec