I knew a fact when I saw one. (Until I watched this documentary.)

I watched a Netflix documentary titled, The Social Dilemma, last night. It is a revealing look at the cause of many of our society’s ills.

Two significant issues caught my attention. The first is the fact that the social media sites are using such sophisticated algorithms to pinpoint the exact information we see on our feeds it’s uncanny. Secondly, I knew they used that information to advertise directly to us. Still, I didn’t realize that they give us the news, commentary, and opinion pieces, "the facts," that confirm our political views.

Together, this means we are seeing the “alternative facts” that appeal to us. It even goes as far as affecting our Google searches for information. Google has so much information on all of us, it uses our preferences to present the “facts” we get when we do a Google search.

In simple terms, this means if you are a conservative, you get one set of “facts.” If you are a progressive, you get another. (Let that sink in.)

Now I understand the intensity of those arguments that result in losing friends. We’re all seeing a different set of “facts.” In this scenario, how can we possibly have a civil conversation about what is happening in this country?

This is all intensified by the frustration of knowing we’re off the rails and not knowing why. And here’s the most frustrating part, the social media companies, like Google, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, WhatsApp, and YouTube are not about to stop. They all make more money than any other company in the history of business on this planet. 

Once again, we see unfettered capitalism destroying the society that gave it birth. And politicians using the same algorithms to pander to their loyal base with opposite “facts.”