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Why isn’t the mental health of people using its platform a priority for Facebook?
Because its revenues are dependent on users being addicted to its service. Your question is akin to asking why are crack dealers not worried about the health of their customers.
Facebook is the new tobacco industry.
This article discusses correlational evidence. The basis for causation is speculative at best, and there is a long list of cofounding factors. The side effects of attempting to bar social media usage by teens might further amplify the problem, driving them away from carefully moderated platforms.
Moderation is actually the problem. The internet was a better place for everyone when it was just webrings, usenet, and goatse.
Note that Facebook does not have the choice to agree. To do so would be to open Facebook to unimaginable legal liability. So Facebook's opinion in the matter is moot. There are practically no inputs to this function that will change its behavior.
Actually yes, I completely agree with you even though it's depressing. Calling it "inconclusive" is probably the least offensive response they could've executed.
Note that Facebook does not have the choice to agree. To do so would be to open Facebook to unimaginable legal liability. So Facebook's opinion in the matter is moot. There are practically no inputs to this function that will change its behavior.
How so? Isn't there a link to types of alcohol use and depression(and cancer, and diminished mental capacity, and early death)? It's not like alcohol companies are being sued out of existence. Realistically I think that it just so happens that the people who would work at facebook are the people who naturally don't believe that facebook is a force of badness in the world because their worldview already aligned with f…
For instance, with Facebook, is it more because of the ads?
Or is it more because of the engagement algorithms?
Or, would it happen even if Facebook were just a reverse-chronological feed, populated only by your chosen friends, with zero advertising?
Has there been any further detail on what about social media is linked to depression? For instance, with Facebook, is it more because of the ads? Or is it more because of the engagement algorithms? Or, would it happen even if Facebook were just a reverse-chronological feed, populated only by your chosen friends, with zero advertising?
We never heard about RSS feed readers causing depression, except when Google cancelled the most popular one.
It's possible that having all of your friendship interactions being quietly censored and reorganized to financially benefit a giant multinational is actually the depressing thing.
Delete your Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp accounts. If you think these systems are bad (and you're right if you do), stop donating content to them to make them more attractive to your friends and family. It's rude and antisocial to push your loved ones toward these abusive systems.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
How so? Isn't there a link to types of alcohol use and depression(and cancer, and diminished mental capacity, and early death)? It's not like alcohol companies are being sued out of existence. Realistically I think that it just so happens that the people who would work at facebook are the people who naturally don't believe that facebook is a force of badness in the world because their worldview already aligned with f…
Companies are allowed to provide dangerous products. It's just that they can't do so without warning people and (potentially) without changing designs or taking other measures to protect people from the harm, unless the danger is already common knowledge.
Has there been any further detail on what about social media is linked to depression? For instance, with Facebook, is it more because of the ads? Or is it more because of the engagement algorithms? Or, would it happen even if Facebook were just a reverse-chronological feed, populated only by your chosen friends, with zero advertising?
Hacker News is ad-free and not particularly aggressive with engagement-optimizated sorting, yet I often walk away from HN sessions with mild depression. Also inspiration, defeat, numbness, laughter, and a sense of subtle superiority.
My point is that digital connection, content, and curation is completely novel to ours or any species. Facebook’s use of the technology may be greedy and or detrimental, but the entire paradigm is without precedent.
Note that Facebook does not have the choice to agree. To do so would be to open Facebook to unimaginable legal liability. So Facebook's opinion in the matter is moot. There are practically no inputs to this function that will change its behavior.
How so? Isn't there a link to types of alcohol use and depression(and cancer, and diminished mental capacity, and early death)? It's not like alcohol companies are being sued out of existence. Realistically I think that it just so happens that the people who would work at facebook are the people who naturally don't believe that facebook is a force of badness in the world because their worldview already aligned with f…
Take a look at the history of litigation against tobacco companies and the policy consequences over the decades as the harm became known and public.
If not legal issues at the very least Facebook would face severe regulatory problems if administrations and consumers actually started to look at digital media consumption from a public health perspective.