Our brains are being hijhacked. No, that’s not a misspelling, but a word we invented to describe both how social media hijacks your most personal information, then sells it to advertisers in ways you probably aren’t aware you agreed to; and how social media hacks your brain— pushing your hot buttons of annoyance, anger and outrage to keep your eyeballs on their sites, targeting you with ads and gathering more information about you than you might realize.

Facebook, Google, and Twitter may be central to how we communicate with others, but these powerful tools come with an expensive but hidden cost. The more time you spend on the platform, the more money they make; Facebook made US$40 billion in advertising revenue from its users last year alone. So, how do they keep your eyeballs glued to the screen? And how is this affecting our culture?

If you think social impacts of social media are only affecting that big nation to Canada’s south, think again. To explain how social media really works, and what other countries are doing about it, we welcome Dr. Sarah Ganter, Assistant Professor of Communications at SFU, and others. Then it will be your turn to make observations, express opinions, and ask questions. Please join us, and don’t forget to bring your lunch!

Please note: SFU City Conversations continues to be free, but registration via Eventbrite is now required. We have made this decision to get a better sense of the interest and expected attendance for each event. As this event is free, it is our policy to overbook the venue. To guarantee a seat, please register using the link above and arrive no later than 12:15 PM. In case of a full event, your ticket may not guarantee admission, so we recommend you arrive early.