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The naivete of this author is stunning. Zuckerberg runs FB to "help connect people?" Not quite. It's an advertising money machine and Zuckerberg is no social ph
by dtagames 4y ago
The naivete of this author is stunning. Zuckerberg runs FB to "help connect people?" Not quite. It's an advertising money machine and Zuckerberg is no social philanthropist.
The "people" who are misusing the tool, as he mentions, are the people who work at Facebook! It's implementation is harmful to society because it amplifies our worst voices -- the ones around hatred, lies, and bigotry. Those also happen to be the topics that attract eyeballs, and FB feeds you more of whatever sick medicine you crave.
FB is awful not because it's been maligned by folks who just don't understand. It's awful by design. I hope it's over soon.
- PaulHoule 4y agoThat’s roughly what I was going to say. Another factor though is the group of Facebook users and their folkways. For instance the unhealthy body comparison on Instagram is not driven by system prompts but because; (1) there was an existing tendency for people to do that and (2) people see other people doing it on Instagram. Once an online community has gotten some habits it is very hard to change even if you run it. I also have the opinion that TikTok is dramatically more harmful, a friend of my son got turned not just into an Incel but an Incel who doesn’t work or go to school but just steals money from his mom so he can buy illegal anabolic steroids. (Oddly he doesn’t even go to the gym)