3 ms·

and be completely rid of their influence on you This isn't true at all. First, I'd lose my connection with a lot of people because Facebook keeps buying altern

by sp332 5y ago

and be completely rid of their influence on you This isn't true at all. First, I'd lose my connection with a lot of people because Facebook keeps buying alternative messaging services and social group management products. Second, the people who are on Facebook can organize real-world events that affect me. Facebook might even actively recommend more people to join those events. Third, they lobby Congress and state/local governments to get regulations in their favor, tax breaks, housing projects approved, etc. (This ties back to point one because in some countries, WhatsApp is the only contact method for most people and businesses.) Fourth, news articles are now written for maximum engagement on Facebook. Even if you go to a news website directly, that content has been shaped by FB's algorithms.

TameAntelope 5y ago
Ah, exactly the trap I see so many people fall for! You would not lose your connection with a lot of people because of Facebook, you would lose your connection with a lot of people because of the combined decisions of you and those people! Facebook isn't doing anything here other than being convenient -- it's your friends and family making the choice (along with you) to refuse to communicate with people outside of the FB platform. And no, WhatsApp is not the "only contact method for most people and businesses", at least not due to any kind of technical or governmental restriction. It may be the only functional way to run a business or talk to people in some places, but Facebook didn't do that, those people and businesses did. They can choose to fix that within the course of a few minutes. They won't make that choice, but they absolutely could. And so what if Facebook recommends specific events to people? Those people still retain agency over their choices, Facebook isn't making anyone do anything, people still decide how to behave, which events to attend, and generally how to navigate their time. There's a great point in what you said, that I think is worth highlighting; at the root of the complaints about social media is this fundamental rejection of the idea that people are capable or willing to act on their own accord. It's this assumption that people wouldn't make these choices were it not for Facebook's influence, and I think that's completely wrong. You can rid yourself of Facebook's influence over your life in a matter of minutes. You choose not to, and that's on you, not Facebook. It's a social media company, nothing more.
- sp332 5y ago
  Where WhatsApp is zero-rated, people can use it (for free) when they can't even afford to send plain-text emails from their phones. The options are Facebook or nothing. It's a social media company, nothing more. I disagree completely. It's also an advertising company, an ISP, an SSO identity provider, a movie streaming company, a VR hardware and software company, and so on. And I already mentioned the amount of lobbying they do to get regulations and tax laws changed.

by sp332 5y ago

TameAntelope 5y ago

Ah, exactly the trap I see so many people fall for! You would not lose your connection with a lot of people because of Facebook, you would lose your connection with a lot of people because of the combined decisions of you and those people! Facebook isn't doing anything here other than being convenient -- it's your friends and family making the choice (along with you) to refuse to communicate with people outside of the FB platform. And no, WhatsApp is not the "only contact method for most people and businesses", at least not due to any kind of technical or governmental restriction. It may be the only functional way to run a business or talk to people in some places, but Facebook didn't do that, those people and businesses did. They can choose to fix that within the course of a few minutes. They won't make that choice, but they absolutely could. And so what if Facebook recommends specific events to people? Those people still retain agency over their choices, Facebook isn't making anyone do anything, people still decide how to behave, which events to attend, and generally how to navigate their time. There's a great point in what you said, that I think is worth highlighting; at the root of the complaints about social media is this fundamental rejection of the idea that people are capable or willing to act on their own accord. It's this assumption that people wouldn't make these choices were it not for Facebook's influence, and I think that's completely wrong. You can rid yourself of Facebook's influence over your life in a matter of minutes. You choose not to, and that's on you, not Facebook. It's a social media company, nothing more.

sp332 5y ago
Where WhatsApp is zero-rated, people can use it (for free) when they can't even afford to send plain-text emails from their phones. The options are Facebook or nothing. It's a social media company, nothing more. I disagree completely. It's also an advertising company, an ISP, an SSO identity provider, a movie streaming company, a VR hardware and software company, and so on. And I already mentioned the amount of lobbying they do to get regulations and tax laws changed.