Plato and the illusion of reality on Social Media

Today on social media we are bombarded every second, from curated feeds to instant updates, we navigate a world where perception often blurs the lines between truth and illusion. But what if this phenomenon isn't as new as we think? What if the ancient wisdom of Plato holds a mirror to our modern-day digital realities?  In this article, I will foreground my discussion with the allegory of the Cave,  a timeless philosophical masterpiece by Plato to dissect the nature of perception and reality on social media.

Who is Plato

Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived around 428/427 BCE to 348/347 BC. He was a student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle, making him a central figure in the development of Western philosophy. His philosophical writings, primarily in the form of dialogues featuring Socrates as the main character, cover a wide range of topics including ethics, politics, metaphysics, epistemology, and aesthetics. Some of his most famous works include "The Republic," "The Symposium," "Phaedo," and "The Apology."  This discussion is is interested in "The Republic" which is his seminal work with ten books exploring the nature of justice, the ideal society, and the role of the philosopher-king. It is presented as a dialogue between Socrates and various interlocutors.

The Cave Allegory

In Book 7, of the Republic  Plato presents an important allegory of the cave where Socrates is talking to Glaucon (one of the main interlocutors in the dialogue alongside Socrates). The allegory of the cave depicts prisoners confined in a cave since childhood, chained so they can only face forward. A fire behind them casts shadows on the wall in front of them. A road behind the fire  was used by people  carrying objects, and animals. These figures had their shadows  cast on the stone wall in front of the cave people. These prisoners,  only saw their own shadows, or the shadows other people walking which the fire throws on the opposite wall of the cave. They could not see anything but the shadows because they were never allowed to move their heads. One day one of them broke the chain and went outside and he saw the the real world. He came back and explained what he saw to his fellow prisoners but they could not believe him and rejected his story as a mirage.

In providing the symbolism of the allegory Plato stated that the prison symbolizes the limited perception of reality, with the fire representing the sun illuminating the shadows perceived by the prisoners. The ascent out of the cave signifies the soul's progression into the realm of intellect and understanding. The idea of good, the ultimate truth and source of beauty and reason, is revealed gradually, requiring effort to comprehend. It is the universal author of all that is right and beautiful, essential for guiding rational action in both public and private life.

Modern-day cave entrapment on social media

Social media platforms can be seen as modern-day caves where users are exposed to curated content, often creating a distorted version of reality. I will talk about four things that alter reality on social media today .

• Filtered Reality

Just like the shadows on the cave wall, social media feeds present a filtered version of reality. Everyone presents their best and showcases an idea of the good life.  This puts pressure on some as they may harbour feelings of inadequacy or FOMO (fear of missing out) as they compare themselves to these idealised representations. Relationships, marriages and even noble work ethics are destroyed as people seek to match the illusions cast on social media.   Remember people plan to post things on social media and they have intentions for each post, what is important is to see through that filtered reality and never fall for an illusion.

• Echo Chambers

In the cave, the prisoners were only seeing the shadows and nothing else, this can be real on social media,  when one may be confined to echo chambers where they are only exposed to opinions and perspectives that align with their own. An echo chamber is a virtual environment created on social media where individuals are exposed primarily to information, opinions, and perspectives that reinforce their existing beliefs or biases. Diverse opinions or dissenting views are filtered, leading to a reinforcement of one's views and limited exposure to alternative ideas. This illusion can lead to polarisation, as individuals become less likely to engage with differing perspectives and more prone to confirmation bias. An example is when an individual follows and engages primarily with accounts that share their political beliefs, reinforcing their views while excluding opposing perspectives, they would think their space is the reality on the ground. This creates a distorted view of reality, reinforcing existing beliefs and preventing exposure to diverse viewpoints.

• Algorithmic Influence

One of the cave illusions people suffer from is social media algorithms which determine the content users see based on their past behaviour and preferences.  These are computational processes used by platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to determine which content users see in their feeds. These algorithms analyse user behaviour, preferences, and interactions to personalise the content displayed. Factors considered include engagement metrics like likes, comments, and shares, as well as the relevance of the content to the user's interests.  Although the goal is to enhance the user experience by showing them content that is likely to be of interest, increasing engagement and time spent on the platform algorithms can lead to a reinforcement of existing biases and preferences, further perpetuating the illusion of reality constructed by the platform.

Educate yourself,  adjust your settings be critical and allow yourself to evaluate information from various sources.  Also, limit your time on social media to prevent algorithmic biases from influencing your worldview excessively. Spending time offline or engaging in other activities can provide perspective and balance

• Disconnection from Reality

Spending excessive time on social media can lead to a disconnect from the real world.  Take a journey out of the cave and interact with real-life experience. When you spent too much time  on virtual interactions over you end up having a skewed perception of social norms and human relationships. Some have become cave prisoners of addictions due to too much interaction on social media.  Get some time offline to connect with real people, and create relationships in business and socially. Create time with family and friends, play pitch games, and board games not phone or computer games.

Jump into reality and get out of the cave,

The allegory of the cave can serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of being too immersed in the illusions of reality presented by social media. It reminds us to critically examine the information we consume and seek a broader understanding of the world beyond the confines of our digital caves.