A Harm To Civil Society

[Keith Maitland]

Another former Facebook executive has spoken out about the harm the social network is doing to civil society around the world. Chamath Palihapitiya, who joined Facebook in 2007 and became its vice president for user growth, said he feels “tremendous guilt” about the company he helped make. “I think we have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works,” he told an audience at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

[....]

The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops we’ve created are destroying how society works. No civil discourse, no cooperation; misinformation, mistruth. And it’s not an American problem—this is not about Russian ads.

This is a global problem.

https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2017/12/11/16761016/former-facebook-exec-ripping-apart-society?__twitter_impression=true

[Shaker]

Ripping apart the social fabric is ludicrously over the top, I have to say, but that there are real problems with Facebook is disputed by few outside of the behemoth itself. Its blandishments have passed me by, anyway.

[Aruntraveller]

Strange how all the right wing press have headlined this with great glee. Nothing to do with the fact that social media circumnavigates them very successfully and reduces their baleful influence.

That there are issues with FB is not in doubt. But there have been issues with the traditional press for as long as it has existed. Just saying.

[Humph Warden Bennett]

FWIW IMO social media means that I can chat to friends all around the world, it beats sitting in a pub any day.

I don't have Facebook anymore, since I discovered that FB retains all one's images.

[Robbie]

Mornin' all, starting early today.
I deactivated my facebook account, felt bad about all sorts of things being available to anyone. I know one can make a private facebook page but am not that bothered. If people want to contact me, I've been in my present house for more than fourteen years & have had the same mobile no. for more than that.

My children & nieces and nephews do facebook quite a bit and have private accounts, that's up to them.

My husband does it too but he is quite funny, sweet & non controversial (won't say how  ), I see it all.

[floo]

I have a facebook account which is only available to my children,I rarely post on it.

[Robbie]

That is very sensible floo.

FWIW IMO social media means that I can chat to friends all around the world, it beats sitting in a pub any day.

I don't have Facebook anymore, since I discovered that FB retains all one's images.

Also very sensible.

I had one big shock on the now defunct 'Friends Reunited', there was also something called, 'Missing You'.  Yet I walked into it (both), so can't complain.  From then on I decided all that sort of thing wasn't for me. I like privacy.

[floo]

I only signed up to Facebook in the first place, because when our middle daughter and family went on a tour of Canada and the US a couple of years or so ago, it was the only way of keeping in touch.