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Since social media use itself contributes to lower self image and depression, how much are they going to look into their own product as contributing to a proble

Since social media use itself contributes to lower self image and depression, how much are they going to look into their own product as contributing to a problem getting worse for an individual. It would seem that work being done to drive engagement is most problematic for those at risk.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
xatan_dank 10y ago
Probably not at all. Facebook's collective desire for higher engagement and profit will likely outweigh any concern for individual or collective users.
- zackmorris 10y ago
  I hear what you're saying, but from a slightly different angle. I wonder if the profit motive creates a conflict of interest the same way that corporate news tends towards bias to satisfy advertisers. I am thinking of exiting Facebook for at least a couple of months because my posts/shares (which tend to have a political slant or at least broader perspective to them) don't seem to get any reaction or be shared anymore. Neither do music, alternative culture, or sustainability/environmental posts. If Facebook is unable to give people the dignity to fail at debating one another and be challenged by new ideas, then that may not be compatible with democracy. I hope they fix whatever is going on with their feed algorithm, and maybe 3000 people training AIs will help, but I wonder if the problem isn't technology.
anigbrowl 10y ago
Your premise is overbroad. Some kinds of social media use patterns can certainly have such a result. For others it's a great help. I had catastrophic problems with self image and depression long before there was such a thing as the public internet and my online social networks are absolutely essential to my health and wellbeing.
- malandrew 10y ago
  I didn't claim it was the only cause/contributor. I only pointed out that by now, there is a growing body of research demonstrating that it contributes to such problems.
  - anigbrowl 10y ago
    Fair enough, sorry for misinterpreting you.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

xatan_dank 10y ago

Probably not at all. Facebook's collective desire for higher engagement and profit will likely outweigh any concern for individual or collective users.

zackmorris 10y ago
I hear what you're saying, but from a slightly different angle. I wonder if the profit motive creates a conflict of interest the same way that corporate news tends towards bias to satisfy advertisers. I am thinking of exiting Facebook for at least a couple of months because my posts/shares (which tend to have a political slant or at least broader perspective to them) don't seem to get any reaction or be shared anymore. Neither do music, alternative culture, or sustainability/environmental posts. If Facebook is unable to give people the dignity to fail at debating one another and be challenged by new ideas, then that may not be compatible with democracy. I hope they fix whatever is going on with their feed algorithm, and maybe 3000 people training AIs will help, but I wonder if the problem isn't technology.

anigbrowl 10y ago

Your premise is overbroad. Some kinds of social media use patterns can certainly have such a result. For others it's a great help. I had catastrophic problems with self image and depression long before there was such a thing as the public internet and my online social networks are absolutely essential to my health and wellbeing.

malandrew 10y ago
I didn't claim it was the only cause/contributor. I only pointed out that by now, there is a growing body of research demonstrating that it contributes to such problems.
- anigbrowl 10y ago
  Fair enough, sorry for misinterpreting you.