updated 17 november 2024
studioELL deliberately chooses not to engage with social media platforms as a stance against authoritarianism, surveillance capitalism and the exploitative dynamics of late-stage capitalism. These platforms epitomize corporate authoritarianism by consolidating power, profiting from user data and manipulating public discourse. Their unchecked growth exemplifies the systemic inequities and exploitative practices at the heart of contemporary capitalism, eroding autonomy and transparency in favor of profit-driven agendas.
Drawing from Shoshana Zuboff’s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, we recognize the pervasive role of social media in exploiting personal data for profit, fostering systems of surveillance that erode privacy and autonomy. These platforms manipulate content and behavior through algorithms designed to serve corporate agendas, not the interests of individuals or communities. We reject becoming instruments of these algorithms that prioritize profit over genuine discourse.
Furthermore, social media enables authoritarian narratives, spreads disinformation and exacerbates societal divisions. By abstaining from these platforms, we resist the corporate control and censorship that perpetuate such harms. Late-stage capitalism thrives on these structures, where extractive practices and inequities are normalized and public spaces for authentic discourse are increasingly privatized and commodified.
studioELL’s refusal to engage with social media is a reclamation of autonomy over our creative labor and an act of resistance against the corporate agendas that undermine the values of equity, transparency and authentic expression. Social media’s corporate control and censorship contradict the essence of creative work, as these platforms claim ownership over uploaded files and prioritize profit over meaningful engagement. By abstaining from these systems, we refuse to relinquish power over what is viewed or censored due to corporate whims. Instead, we choose alternative methods of connection and communication, especially face-to-face connection and word-of-mouth recommendations, which align with our commitment to fostering genuine discourse and meaningful community building.