3 ms·

Some people do enjoy smoking and/or gambling. Not everyone is a victim being exploited

• Sone7 11y ago
  Some people do enjoy heroin and/or being a slave. Not everyone is a victim being exploited. In other words, I really don't know what you're trying to add to the conversation.
  • bko 11y ago
    Just because you might find the experience mundane or meaningless and you may not be able to fathom why anyone would willfully use such a product doesn't mean that the users are being exploited. It's very condescending and offensive when you compare casual users of a social network that you may not like to real exploitation through chemical dependence or abuse.
• danhak 11y ago
  And some people are legitimately addicted and unable to stop despite their sincere desire. In many cases, companies engineer products and services to be as addictive as possible. The techniques used by casinos, for instance, are well known. This is not an argument for regulation, prohibition or anything like that. Merely a rebuttal to the falsehood that nobody is being "exploited" by such companies and that "value" is being created. In many cases value is being destroyed.
  • koolba 11y ago
    At the end of the day society has to decide, are we going to let people make there own decisions or are we going to decide for them? It might very from topic to topic (ex: tobacco vs. unhealthy foods), but it's one definitive answer per topic.
    • danhak 11y ago
      Right, but as I stated above that debate is out of scope. I'm just disputing the notion that fostering addiction amounts to "creating value."
      • goldenkey 11y ago
        Addiction can be to anything. Its all dopaminergic pathways. Maybe half the idiots arent smoking anymore, instead they are taking selfies. What you are really asking is whether many companies have built themselves into perverse incentive structures with use of dark patterns on their consumers. Absolutely.
  • bko 11y ago
    I imagine those people with dependency issues that are using social networks to such an extent that it impacts their lives have deeper problems rather than just Facebook. Facebook probably benefits from heavy users, but every industry does (80/20 rule). I could be wrong, but I just don't believe that it can create those users through engineering their products. Although I do admit the service likely attracts those with addictive personalities. Honestly, there are a lot worse things one can be hooked to.