Amazons Horrifying Side Effect

Amazon is a global retail platform with unimaginable utility. However... a side effect of their self governing recommendation algorithm... is that darker patterns of monetization can start to emerge.

Recommending and fulfilling a depression based goal of self harm, by combining and pushing the tools to fulfill those impulses is one of the most demented aspects of product promotion I have ever seen in my life. It remains to be seen how a current lawsuit will unfold, but it is rooted in a concept of unchecked and sometimes damaging machine learning.

Crisis Help Resources.

Global Helpline Numbers: https://blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines/

Prevention foundation: https://afsp.org/

Resource Center: https://www.sprc.org/