Social media’s evolution from a novel communication tool to a battleground for attention has reshaped how we interact online. What began as platforms for genuine connection now prioritize engagement metrics, leading to widespread issues like impression farming, bot infestations, and algorithmic exploitation.
Early Days: The Promise of Connection
Social media emerged in the late 1990s with sites like Classmates.com (1995) and Six Degrees (1997), designed to reconnect peers and explore the “Six Degrees of Separation” theory. These early networks focused on strengthening real-world relationships, limited by the internet’s reach (only 1.7% of the global population was online in 1997). By 2008, platforms like Facebook introduced games and quizzes, creating digital spaces for self-expression beyond physical boundaries.
The Rise of Impression Farming
As social media grew, so did the incentive to game engagement metrics. Impression farming—creating low-effort content to maximize views—became rampant:
- Clickbait ads: Mobile game ads with misleading gameplay (e.g., “whitening teeth” games ending in topless men).
- Livestream scams: Fake influencers using pre-recorded footage to farm virtual gifts.
- Twitter/X payouts: Users post viral-but-meaningless questions (e.g. “What’s your favorite Simpsons movie?”) to recoup subscription costs.
Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition exacerbated this. Despite promising creator monetization, most users earned minimal payouts (e.g. KSI made ~$1,590/month vs. YouTube’s higher revenue). Over 75% of Super Bowl 2024 traffic on X was deemed fake, highlighting systemic fraud.
Bots: The Silent Majority
Bots now dominate platforms, mimicking human activity for profit:
- Scam operations: Fake profiles promoting phishing links or crypto drainers (e.g. “Ms Drainer” stole $59M in 2023).
- AI-generated spam: ChatGPT-written LinkedIn posts and Amazon product reviews.
- Adult content lures: Bots using stolen images to direct users to scam sites.
