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Why this Facebook scandal is different

2 points by thrusong 5y ago

raxxorrax 5y ago
I think Zuckerberg is correct if the studies rely on suicide in the UK (didn't get US numbers). The conclusion would be that Instagram doesn't have a significant effect because it is not possible to extract any effect from the data available (nevermind the numbers are falling). So "inconclusive" is staying diplomatic, they are most probably wrong. The article mentions 13% of UK teenage users (perhaps they mean attempts, not suicides, but I just assume successful suicide) trace it back to Instagram. We cannot be talking more than maybe 10 girls here, probably less. Some of them might not be honest because they don't want to admit their reasons. This is not a justification for a government agency that employs former social media workers that landed safely in jobs mostly in think tanks or PR roles like described in the article. All that aside suicide numbers in the UK did increase slightly for women (data is public from 1968 - 2018), but it might still be statistical fluctuation, so don't be manipulated to believe it. Check it yourself. It is still far more for men of course. > The fact that the company is disputing the top-line findings of its staff’s research shows just how damaging the reporting coming out of the whistleblower’s documents are Check the numbers, the media is sadly prone to lying here. > In revealing thousands of documents involving the work of many people at the company These documents aren't available. I never thought I would be inclined to defend Facebook. As I said, perhaps they have other data sources, maybe they used suicide attempts that might be a far higher number, but Instagram does not kill teenage girls. Just for the record, I really dislike Instagram.
- DanBC 5y ago
  The UK is seeing increasing rates of death by suicide in women, and in young people. We're also seeing sky-rocketing rates of mental distress in young women, so if method-substitution starts happening the death rates will increase and could do so dramatically.

2 points by thrusong 5y ago

I think Zuckerberg is correct if the studies rely on suicide in the UK (didn't get US numbers). The conclusion would be that Instagram doesn't have a significant effect because it is not possible to extract any effect from the data available (nevermind the numbers are falling). So "inconclusive" is staying diplomatic, they are most probably wrong. The article mentions 13% of UK teenage users (perhaps they mean attempts, not suicides, but I just assume successful suicide) trace it back to Instagram. We cannot be talking more than maybe 10 girls here, probably less. Some of them might not be honest because they don't want to admit their reasons. This is not a justification for a government agency that employs former social media workers that landed safely in jobs mostly in think tanks or PR roles like described in the article. All that aside suicide numbers in the UK did increase slightly for women (data is public from 1968 - 2018), but it might still be statistical fluctuation, so don't be manipulated to believe it. Check it yourself. It is still far more for men of course. > The fact that the company is disputing the top-line findings of its staff’s research shows just how damaging the reporting coming out of the whistleblower’s documents are Check the numbers, the media is sadly prone to lying here. > In revealing thousands of documents involving the work of many people at the company These documents aren't available. I never thought I would be inclined to defend Facebook. As I said, perhaps they have other data sources, maybe they used suicide attempts that might be a far higher number, but Instagram does not kill teenage girls. Just for the record, I really dislike Instagram.

DanBC 5y ago
The UK is seeing increasing rates of death by suicide in women, and in young people. We're also seeing sky-rocketing rates of mental distress in young women, so if method-substitution starts happening the death rates will increase and could do so dramatically.