What if social networks disappeared?

What if social networks disappeared? Hard to imagine, right? Social networks are not even 20 years old, and designing a world without them is already a matter of thought. Press lent itself to the exercise.

Lea Carrier
Press

A plausible threat

The computer platforms that host social networks are not immune to a major breakage. The blackout that suspended Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram services for six hours on October 4 reminded us of this.

What if the outage had lasted longer? Definitive? It’s unlikely, but possible in theory.

“A computer attack could destroy virtually all data [des réseaux sociaux] or make their service inaccessible for a long period of time, ”says Stéfan Monnier, professor in the computer science department at the University of Montreal.

In practice, the attack would require a high level of organization, detailed knowledge of the targeted services, and would have to bypass “all kinds of measures that are put in place to have backup copies”.

However, these attacks, which “are increasing in frequency and severity”, are already “a major concern” for states and private companies.

It is on the basis of this hypothesis that we left the field open to various experts, including a philosopher and a novelist, to write the scenario of the death of social networks – one among a field of possibilities -, between the apocalyptic film and straightforward comedy.

Shock wave

It could happen anytime. A Monday in November, like.

On the way to work, between two thumb swipes, an error message appears on the screen. Around the globe, more than four billion social media users are staring at the same endlessly spinning wheel.

“I ask myself all the time: where am I going to be when everything goes wrong? », Says the author and follower of apocalyptic stories Jean-Philippe Baril Guérard (Manual of Wildlife, High Demolition, Royal).

In the scenario he invents out loud, the first hours of the mega-valve are rather quiet. No crowds, no sirens blaring in the distance. The event does not strike the imagination like a pandemic (or a zombie attack). There is something absurd, even.

If humans have lived for millennia without Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and company, then why is it so difficult to imagine a world after them?

Because going back is not possible, believes Milton Campos, retired professor of communications at the University of Montreal.

“It should be understood that the arrival of digital technology is the result of research and effort, but also of a human need. “

“And since humans, from a cognitive point of view, are problem-solving animals, they have integrated these tools to solve life’s problems,” adds Campos.

Like a cyborg, remarks Jean-Philippe Baril Guérard. Social media has given us superhuman abilities, like the ability to communicate to the other side of the world, in a fraction of a second.

Well, until now.

The reorganization

The shock received, the tension rises a notch.

After a few hours, the first symptoms of withdrawal from social networks begin to appear. They come in the form of anger, irritation and depressed mood, lists D^D Marie-Anne Sergerie, who is interested in cyber addiction.

“If these symptoms stand out, it is because they were associated with excessive use [des réseaux sociaux]. For other people, it won’t be an issue. Everyone will experience it in a different way, depending on the function occupied by social networks in their life, ”she adds.

These platforms serve as both communication and work tools, entertainment tools and ensure the free flow of information. Without them, the whole social organization must be rethought, notes the author Jean-Philippe Baril Guérard.

It’s the return of the collection of birthdays (“I just know my mother’s!”), Email chains (“unfortunately”) and mourning for virtual archives (son’s graduation ceremony, 50^e wedding anniversary), all evacuated in the mega-valve.

And to keep abreast of city rumors – because gossip also fills a social need – where do we meet? “I like to imagine that the theaters and the Bell Center would become the new church steps! », Laughs Jean-Philippe Baril Guérard.

In addition, the collapse of social networks would cause a stock market crash that could potentially have repercussions on the real economy, foresees David Dupuis, economist and professor at the University of Sherbrooke.

“There are stock market crashes that just remain that way, but there are others that have the power to affect consumer sentiment. We then enter a more gloomy period and people, as a precautionary measure, will tend to contract their consumption. It could certainly happen, ”explains Dupuis.

The reflection

After weeks or even months, the dust settles.

We are slowing the pace, imagines the French philosopher Pierre Musso, a specialist in information and communication sciences. In his book Criticism of networks, he was interested in the genesis of the “network”, the first figure of which dates back to Antiquity and refers to an interweaving of threads like a fishing net. Later, with the industrial revolution, it became the railroad, then electricity and the internet.

While it becomes more powerful and complex with each transformation, the network has taken a whole new step for the past 20 years.

“The global scale and the speed of use of social networks have transformed the rhythm of society. We are in very short times and at very high frequencies, which modify attention and behavior, ”says Pierre Musso.

Conversely, their disappearance is a decelerator.

We consume less, predicts the professor emeritus at HEC Montreal and retail specialist Jacques Nantel. In 2021, $ 1 invested in advertising on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok is more effective than the same amount invested in any other advertising medium (thank you optimization algorithms).

In some cases, social networks themselves become marketplaces.

“It’s a bit like removing half the products from a grocery store. We are less tempted to buy things, especially since a large part of our consumption, especially in developed countries, are non-essential products. And the purchase of these products is very activated by social networks, ”adds Mr. Nantel.

We campaign at a different pace, too.

“On social networks, there is the trendy element. Something is in fashion, people will share information, tell themselves that the job is done and move on, ”notes the historian and rapper Webster.

Close to militant circles, he has witnessed the transition from street activism to the twittosphere. From leaflets to hashtags. From action to reaction. Perhaps it would be interesting to bring out the cans of milk and the pamphlets, he believes.

“If you want to show your indignation, your anger, you have to get out of your home. It requires more investment, more time, but this is where we see who is really convinced by their cause. ”

Lesson

So how does this story end? Ultimately, the philosopher Pierre Musso sees two ways out. Let humanity celebrate “the liberation of these networks that monitor and capture data, ad revenue and attention”.

Either she rebels.

If he had to predict the future, Pierre Musso is betting more on the second outcome. Why ? The answer is in your pocket.

“In the history of human beings, there are very few objects that we have accepted to wear as essential. The clothes, the jewelry, the glasses, the watch. And the smartphone. Interrupting social networks would mean taking away a large part of the activity on the smartphone, something which is deeply individualized, which is experienced and perceived as an element of oneself. ”

The last word goes to the author Jean-Philippe Baril Guérard, who has the turn to surprise us.

“The story ends with someone in their bedroom clicking ‘Enter’ and a new social network is online. After everything we have learned, we rebuild the exact same thing and the cycle begins again. Finally, I think my story would be a comedy … It makes me want to write it, this book! ”