In today’s social media-expedited world the younger generation’s time, thoughts, and energy are so consumed with ‘staying in the know’ about a whole host of inconsequential happenings that it is cause for concern. Too much of this generation has been, or are being, programmed to function in particular directions.
Influencing minds – as opposed to brainwashing – is not a new phenomenon by any means. Prior to the proliferation of the internet, Holly-wood films and television were major players in the development of cultural habits and trends (such as cigarette smoking), but those sources pale in comparison to the directness and speed of the algorithms employed by social media platforms. These algorithms, which function as intelligent guides, swiftly collect and sort users’ data, and then point them in the direction of their preferences. This fount of influence over the human mind draws comparisons to the power of the inverted roles of fire as servant and master in our lives; extremely useful if carefully harnessed, an utterly destructive force once out of our control.
Besides the obvious pursuit of consumer goods, such as clothes, cars and furniture, other spheres of our lives are constantly being pounded by these clever digital librarians which document and profile our interests and pursuits. One area of this bombardment tempting our minds should be of grave concern; the proliferation of the lure of legal sports betting. This massive industry has exploded to such an extent in the last decade in the USA that individual states and the four major sports leagues had no choice but to quickly clamber on board and legitimise the activity. The alternative was to simply watch potentially billions of dollars in revenue disappear into the pockets of underworld bookmakers, as the populace, consumed by the highly attractive addiction of instant gratification were going to place their bets somewhere with someone.
The tracked revenue from legit sources (the underworld’s take is still just speculation) is mind bending. According to the American Gam-ing Association’s Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker, the country’s gamblers wagered a record U$119.84 billion on sports betting in 2023, an increase of 27.5 percent. Those bets translated into US$10.92 billion in revenue, an enormous growth of 44.5 percent from 2022, and an increase of 9.1 percent in national hold percentage (profit margin), up from 8.1 percent. The difference in the sum of all bets placed relative to revenue growth was tied to a 9.1% national hold percentage last year, up from 8.1% in 2022, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA). Last year, sports betting became legal in the states of Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska and Ohio which joined the ranks of 33 other states and the District of Columbia. These five states contributed a total of US$1.49 billion to the coffers of sport betting revenue, with Ohio ranked fourth among all states with a contribution of US$936.6 million. The AGA estimated that Ameri-cans wagered US$23.1 billion on this year’s Super Bowl.
The over exposure to these algorithms probing and prodding our subconscious does not augur well for our future well-being. If we don’t take time out to think and plan our lives in a constructive manner, within a framework of long-term goals built upon realistic periodical short term reviews, our thought processes and lives will continue to be manipulated by these unseen algorithms. Very few actually tap into the powerful resource of the subconscious mind and establish control of the direction of their lives, a discipline required if one strives to achieve success in any area of endeavour.
Sports psychologists have attained great results in this direction, assisting top sportsmen and sportswomen to eliminate outside influences on their pursuits and focus their subconscious mind in training and whilst competing. The great West Indies batsman Viv Richards is a prime example of what can be attained with the right guidance and focus. Richards was struggling at the crease against the fearsome pace duet of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson during the early stages of the disastrous 1975-76 tour of Australia, when he sat down with Dr Rudi Webster, a Barbadian then practising in Australia. Their discussions revealed that during the early stages of an innings Richards’ concentration was waning, and they devised a step-by-step approach to tackle the problem. The immediate result of Richards harnessing this untapped resource was a re-writing of the record books. In 11 Test matches versus Australia, India and England in 1976, Richards accumulated 1710 runs in 19 innings, including seven centuries and five fifties at the phenomenal average of 90, a record which stood for 30 years.
As the smartphone generation’s exposure to the unseen algorithms continues to expand exponentially one hopes that somehow their decision making will be of their own accord and not some hidden hand pushing them in the wrong directions.