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Facebook isn't the problem. Advertising is. Vox can't tell you this without hurting themselves. We fund content distribution (Facebook) and content creation (a
by natrius 10y ago
Facebook isn't the problem. Advertising is. Vox can't tell you this without hurting themselves.
We fund content distribution (Facebook) and content creation (actual articles) based on how many people are looking at them, so journalists produce clickbait and Facebook gets you addicted to it. We can call it "maximizing daily active users" instead of addiction if you like, but it all sounds the same to me. If you're asking Facebook or journalists to make less money to create a better world, don't be surprised when they say no.
Instead, individuals must take on the responsibility to fund the production and distribution of content they find valuable. That won't eliminate bias, but it'll eliminate the very strong financial incentive embedded in capitalism to create a compelling alternate reality for each individual on the planet. It is tearing us apart. Start a recurring donation to a nonprofit news organization today, then turn on your ad blockers. Not just for intrusive ads. For everything.
- grubles 10y agoNo, Facebook absolutely is the problem. See: modifying users' feeds to conduct a random, secret, psychological experiment on unwilling humans. http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/09/facebooks-mood-manipulation-experiment-might-be-illegal/380717/ http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/09/facebo...
- yummyfajitas 10y agoWhat's wrong with this? Would it also be wrong if Facebook changed their algorithm but deployed the update to 100℅ of users? If not, why is 50℅ somehow bad while 100℅ is ok?
- norikki 10y agodo you mean 50%
- grubles 10y agoFacebook modified certain users' feeds to only show "sad" or "negative" posts and effectively hide "happy" or "positive" posts, while simultaneously doing the opposite to others' feeds. Grade A+ psychologically manipulative experiment. This is why I don't engage in the Facebook nonsense anymore.