Why I never use Facebook

New York Times: The Day Facebook Ruined the Internet

I used Facebook just enough at the beginning to know: “this is not for me”. I wondered then, as now: why would anyone want to have someone else, or some thing else, choose what you read? Huh? I still don’t get it. 

I read and watch, widely, every day, from left and right. But if you’re in FB Newsfeed, the algorithms, the AI, choose what to show you based on your past history. Talk about recipe for disaster. And it is. The movie The Social Network also revealed it, so the NYT is kinda late to the party. 

I think it was that movie, The Social Network that gave this example: a young mum, nursing her baby, decides to join a FB Group of nursing mums. They talk about all sorts of organic and natural medecimes and supplements. AI watches; sees everything. Next, in her  NewsFeed, the young mum sees recommendations on nutrients and supplements, soon a video on vaccines and whether they might harm her newborn, next, naturally, vids from anti-vaxxers… you can see where this is going. Not too long before she’s down some pretty weird rabbit holes, all a step at a time, from her friendly Newsfeed.

The vid above shows that the initial reactions to NewsFeed were universally negative. People hated it. But they used it. Double compared to what they used to. And so now they’re addicted. 

Thing is: we own FB stock. Bought in early days when we weren’t aware of the damage it might do to our world. I’ve been wanting to get rid of the stick for some time: I don’t like Zuckererg and I don’t like what I now know FB does. Like the vid above. But we’ve never got around to selling. In which time it’s tripled.  Sigh…

h/t to prof Ann Althouse.