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anima99 t1_je4h93d wrote

When it comes to the future of anything about people, we can always look to China.

In China, we have the social credit points system. We meme it, but it may coming to us all in the next decade, but it would be more on "since you use [app], you can avail of [benefits]."

The metric of how good the perks are will rely on how valuable your account is + how much money you generate the app.

Those likes, shares, reacts, follows will be part of how they compute your social media value. The clout chasing will now be even greater than ever, because it's literally affecting your quality of life.

We'll have stores where "only those with 1 million+ followers are allowed" or VIP access that restrict entrance to those with a certain "social media level."

We might even push it further and have "Team [app1]" vs "Team [app2]" kinds of social discrimination.

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ledfrisby t1_je4kct1 wrote

I don't know if we can look at China as the future model of anything for developed countries. The country has a unique modern history, going from Maoist revolution, to starvation, to reform, to historically unprecedented economic growth, to a global superpower, where they are today. I don't see how the world view of the Chinese people and the CCP, shaped by these events, is in any way predictive of the rest of the world. The only common thread is what seems at times like a general slide towards authoritarianism, but that trend would have to continue for a long time, without the pendulum swinging back the other way, for Western democracies to take such steps.

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[deleted] t1_je4hfqb wrote

[removed]

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anima99 t1_je4i0wj wrote

I think people have collectively given up on data security. Like, we joke about it, especially with the "My FBI agent" memes. We have all these terms and conditions that we don't read, and they may have a line or two that says "we can do whatever we want with your data if you agree."

There's this book I read about a future where private corporations ruled over governments. The divide was more on what employees of said corporations can have and do vs the perks of the other corporations. It was a big loyalty game.

We might have that soon, what with how we worship brands and the way they validate us socially.

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WildGrem7 t1_je7quvz wrote

Future? Dude corporations already rule over the most powerful country in the world

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_r33d_ t1_je4k4xr wrote

It’s starting to happen already. Was just reading about a luxury chain of gyms in US which require interviews, references and a full parsing of your social media accounts.

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Pickled_Doodoo t1_je5szs3 wrote

> In China, we have the social credit points system. We meme it, but it may coming to us all in the next decade, but it would be more on "since you use [app], you can avail of [benefits]."

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One of the grocery store oligopolies in Finland just urged people to stop taking paper receipts and instead start using their app to archive purchases, reasoning that it reduces waste, etc.

At face value, a good enough reason but I can't help to not think about China's social credit and how close that is to become a reality in the west too.

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-The_Blazer- t1_je5zirk wrote

> "since you use [app], you can avail of [benefits]."

Isn't this how the entire service sector works and has worked for a century? Just replace apps with signed cards, club memberships and catalogues.

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