Global warming & social media algorithms: Thoughts on problem solving

I’ll start this post with a very simple, yet controversial hypothesis:

EVERY PROBLEM IS ALREADY SOLVED

Let me explain.

What I mean is that, usually, what we do is stand in front of a problem and start looking for a solution. Yet, as I intend to prove, that problem already has a solution. Maybe you don’t like the solution, but that problem has already been solved. The world is not standing still, waiting for us to find a solution to that problem, in order to keep on keeping on. If the problem really was in need of a solution, time would stop. However, it does not. Let me keep getting controversial and try to prove it with an example:

We’re used to considering global warming as a problem. And I firmly believe it doesn’t require a solution. Honestly, I do. Global warming is already good and solved, and let me be clear: that doesn’t mean I agree with all those crazy, stupid antienvironmentalists who insist global warming isn’t a thing. It is, and a big one. I simply think global warming, as a problem, is already solved, and here is the solution: all human beings die, and some other species takes over, like iguanas or some other thing that thrives in what we call awful, unliveable climate conditions. That’s the solution the Earth, as an ecosystem, comes up with for this change in the environment conditions. Temperature rises, so all beings who can’t function in that range, are killed, and those who can cope well, thrive. Simple, elegant, effective. Just not for us humans. We still think of global warming as an unsolved problem because the solution sucks for us. So I’ll say it again, loudly: the problem doesn’t require a solution, we are the ones who do.

And this happens every time we encounter a new problem: we think it needs a solution, and focus on finding one. What we actually need to do is realize that a solution already exists, and that what we’re actually trying to find is a better solution, one that suits our interests.

Having said that, let me get to the bone of the true point I’m trying to make: the very first and most important question, whenever we’re thinking about problem solving, should always be: who is it for?

A great example is this meme that often pops up in my various social media feeds:

I can’t help but agree with her, everytime I see this post. And after laughing a bit and maybe forwarding it to a couple friends, I go back and re-examine it in the light of my original question: who is it for?

Clearly, these social media algorithms are not built with the end user in mind. That is why they make the end user’s experience so miserable: because they’re thought, designed and built for people who buy social media advertising. For them, it works great! It suits them perfectly to have posts organized according to popularity (views, likes, clicks, wathever..) so they can know, at a glance, what works and what doesn’t, and where to put their money.

So, I’ll say it again, this is not a problem in need of a solution, this is a problem solved… just not solved for the end user. As long as you keep in mind that the solution was never meant for the user, but for the advertisers, the solution is flawless. In the end, this is only a matter of how social media companies can make more money. In that scenario, and with that mindset, the end user is not the customer, but the product, and the real customer is the buyer of ads.

Let’s go over it once again, just to make sure we’re all clear and on the same page. Problem solving is about 2 things:

1. When facing a problem, we need to understand what solution is already in place and, most importantly, who’s happy about it: there’s always someone interested in maintaining the status quo, because what looks like chaos and mayhem to most people, often works like a charm for their interests. This is, in clear and simple terms: identifying existing solutions and actors who benefit from them.
2. On a parallel track, we need to identify very clearly who is the recipient of the new solution we’re designing, and what they expect to get from it, all while bearing in mind that it could make the status-quo-lover very angry. Simply and clearly, this means identifying our target customer and their expectations.

A clear understanding of the key elements of the scenario we’re operating in gives us momentum to leap over the right-now, short-term, bread-for-today-hunger-for-tomorrow issues, and instead streamline our approach to satisfy mid- and long-term needs. Also, knowing who is it all for allows a smarter allocation of time & effort, not wasting time in complaining about a solution that wasn’t meant for us, and instead focusing on developing one that suits and fulfills our needs.

So there, now you can go solve some interesting problems.