I don’t even think this is controversial in any way, in fact I used to assume this was just common knowledge after Cambridge Analytica…
I deleted, as in permanently, totally deleted my FB presence when that came out… but everyone else I explained … basically what you’ve just explained … to, thought I was insane or overreacting and paranoid.
…
Its simple.
Engagement, usage, time on platform is being optimized for.
What drives these things most effectively?
Hatred, outrage, extremely offensive and divisive things.
…
… And they know that they can, through exposing people to such things, make said people more extreme and hateful and anxious and depressed.
So… from an ‘optimize for platform usage’ standpoint… perfect! It’s a reinforcing loop!
…
Zuckerberg stated at one point that his goal with Facebook was to be able to profile (and manipulate, but he didn’t say that part) users so well that he’d be able to predict what they’d post next.
He really did/does just view all social interaction as a very complex problem that can be ‘solved’, like a physics question can be solved, to make a predictive model.
They literally know that their business model is to ruin social discourse, ruin peoples mental health and their lives, to polarize society.
It should not be surprising in any way that, well now society is extremely polarized and mentally ill.
I don’t even think this is controversial in any way, in fact I used to assume this was just common knowledge after Cambridge Analytica…
I deleted, as in permanently, totally deleted my FB presence when that came out… but everyone else I explained … basically what you’ve just explained … to, thought I was insane or overreacting and paranoid.
…
Its simple.
Engagement, usage, time on platform is being optimized for.
What drives these things most effectively?
Hatred, outrage, extremely offensive and divisive things.
…
… And they know that they can, through exposing people to such things, make said people more extreme and hateful and anxious and depressed.
So… from an ‘optimize for platform usage’ standpoint… perfect! It’s a reinforcing loop!
…
Zuckerberg stated at one point that his goal with Facebook was to be able to profile (and manipulate, but he didn’t say that part) users so well that he’d be able to predict what they’d post next.
He really did/does just view all social interaction as a very complex problem that can be ‘solved’, like a physics question can be solved, to make a predictive model.
They literally know that their business model is to ruin social discourse, ruin peoples mental health and their lives, to polarize society.
It should not be surprising in any way that, well now society is extremely polarized and mentally ill.