I recently pulled the plug on my FaceBook account. I realized again (3rd time) it is like watching reruns of stupid pet tricks.
There is zero social value of any importance that gets posted on FaceBook. Including what I have post. All my personal blogs, including this one have that same net value. I realize that truth.
My blogs are a personal diary. I post for myself. If someone discovers what I write, that’s fine. Some blogs I permit comment and some I don’t. My choice.
FaceBook is all about data mining. It is not a “service to the community.” It’s about finding out who you are and what you think. This is valuable personal information that is sold to marketers. Everything you touch in Facebook, even just to view, is recorded in your personal “profile”
No one is totally unique. There are enough “usual standards” that let you be placed in a box or category. Be it age, sex, education, etc. Everything most people freely and clearly post in their “stats”. Of course you can “lie” about everything. Only “real” friends will know…
I posted my age as 110. To avoid being placed in the “Boomer age” box. Who thinks someone that old is going to be a “buyer”? Ha!
FaceBook preys on some people’s desire to be “popular” The entire “Friending” tatic is based on the basic human desire. “Golly! I have 500 “friends” who care about my thoughts and opinions. For some it is a measure of self worth. Zuckerberg and his henchmen knew that when they created FaceBook.
I think they knew such data was a potential gold mine.
Since truth is an option, not an enforceable requirement, FaceBook MUST be viewed and judged as only a source of entertainment. Not a fully Vetted source of factual information. It’s like a Disney theme park. What you see looks real, but you have to understand, Mostly, It’s all simply entertainment. Not real life.
The dirty secret is the visitor is under the microscope and under constant surveillance. Be it the theme park or a social media app.
But thinking that through, the entire “civilized” modern world has been tracking our every move. Sometimes it’s good to pull the plug when you can.