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Senators Blast Facebook for Concealing Instagram's Risks to Kids

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Re: Senators Blast Facebook for Concealing Instagram's Risks to Kids

#41

Post by echelon »

jimt1234 wrote: post #35

Sounds like social media platforms might end up like cigarette companies, where they finally acknowledge the harm of their product and add a disclaimer to avoid liability: "This product is designed to manipulate you. It will probably make your life worse." Or, like the drug companies: "If you have depression, suicidal thoughts or find yourself screaming at some rando on the internet, stop taking Facebook and consult…

Maybe a required 20px white on black label affixed to the top of the app at all times. Like a cookie banner, but not dismissible?

  THIS PRODUCT IS DESIGNED TO MANIPULATE YOUR EMOTIONAL STATE. [READ MORE]
That seems totally reasonable to me.

We should call our legislators and demand this. This would make society so much better if Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, etc. were forced to bear this marking.

Re: Senators Blast Facebook for Concealing Instagram's Risks to Kids

#42

Post by titzer »

threatofrain wrote: post #6

To what degree should companies be responsible for goods which, without structured or disciplined use leads to harm, especially when the good in question has an apparently reasonable use case?

> goods

Drugs. The term you are looking for is drug, because numerous studies have shown the effect on brain chemistry[2] and behavior[1] from social media addiction could be as bad as hard drugs.

[1] https://www.addictioncenter.com/news/2019/09/excessive-socia...

[2] https://neurogrow.com/what-social-media-does-to-your-brain/

Re: Senators Blast Facebook for Concealing Instagram's Risks to Kids

#43

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

I can think of no greater waste of human time or energy than these ridiculous Senate "hearings". It's just performance art, on all sides - they should just bring Yoko Ono in and call it a day.

The sad thing is that Senators usually call these hearings so they can make tough sound bites against naughty companies, but they usually just end up sounding like idiots (see the other comment about Sen. Blumenthal's "Finsta" nonsense).

Re: Senators Blast Facebook for Concealing Instagram's Risks to Kids

#44

Post by conspiracist »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #43

I can think of no greater waste of human time or energy than these ridiculous Senate "hearings". It's just performance art, on all sides - they should just bring Yoko Ono in and call it a day. The sad thing is that Senators usually call these hearings so they can make tough sound bites against naughty companies, but they usually just end up sounding like idiots (see the other comment about Sen. Blumenthal's "Finsta"…

It’s a great case of controlled opposition because so many people - HN included - think it’s serious.

This (and other prominent) companies are put in power by these people. It’s embarrassing that a community like HN is blind to this.

Re: Senators Blast Facebook for Concealing Instagram's Risks to Kids

#45

Post by supercanuck »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #43

I can think of no greater waste of human time or energy than these ridiculous Senate "hearings". It's just performance art, on all sides - they should just bring Yoko Ono in and call it a day. The sad thing is that Senators usually call these hearings so they can make tough sound bites against naughty companies, but they usually just end up sounding like idiots (see the other comment about Sen. Blumenthal's "Finsta"…

Senators are accountable to the people, Facebook is accountable to its shareholders.

It could be bozo the clown for all I care, but at least, someone is attempting to answer these questions on behalf of parents not technically capable enough to do something about this.

Re: Senators Blast Facebook for Concealing Instagram's Risks to Kids

#46

Post by livueta »

literallyaduck wrote: post #18

Instead of "blasting" how about regulating it? Social media has proven time and again they are unwilling to do the right thing. They perform human experimentation and must be regulated for public safety. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2014/06/28/facebook... It is an on going activity.

You mean giving them exactly what they're after?

https://mobile.twitter.com/kateo/status/1306071764741558275

(sorry for the source; couldn't get a digital version of the ad since they don't appear to serve it online)

They've been buying full-page ads to this effect in the print edition of the Economist for years now. Given that they clearly believe that they'll be able to steer any such regulation into being a competitive advantage, I'd really rather explore other avenues.

e: my personal nightmare is Facebook-as-regulated-utility: all of the evil the existing corporation exerts, plus no chance that it'll ever naturally go the way of myspace. I'm not ideologically opposed to all regulation ever anywhere, just deeply concerned that any regulation we see in this space will move us closer to that particular cyberpunk dystopia.

Re: Senators Blast Facebook for Concealing Instagram's Risks to Kids

#47

Post by koboll »

echelon wrote: post #41
jimt1234 wrote: post #35

Sounds like social media platforms might end up like cigarette companies, where they finally acknowledge the harm of their product and add a disclaimer to avoid liability: "This product is designed to manipulate you. It will probably make your life worse." Or, like the drug companies: "If you have depression, suicidal thoughts or find yourself screaming at some rando on the internet, stop taking Facebook and consult…

Maybe a required 20px white on black label affixed to the top of the app at all times. Like a cookie banner, but not dismissible? THIS PRODUCT IS DESIGNED TO MANIPULATE YOUR EMOTIONAL STATE. [READ MORE] That seems totally reasonable to me. We should call our legislators and demand this. This would make society so much better if Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, etc. were forced to bear this marking.

Has there ever been a product that isn't designed to manipulate your emotional state?

Re: Senators Blast Facebook for Concealing Instagram's Risks to Kids

#48

Post by geoduck14 »

koboll wrote: post #47
echelon wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe a required 20px white on black label affixed to the top of the app at all times. Like a cookie banner, but not dismissible? THIS PRODUCT IS DESIGNED TO MANIPULATE YOUR EMOTIONAL STATE. [READ MORE] That seems totally reasonable to me. We should call our legislators and demand this. This would make society so much better if Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, etc. were forced to bear this marking.

Has there ever been a product that isn't designed to manipulate your emotional state?

My couch doesn't manipulate my emotional state

Caresses the supple leather underneath me

Re: Senators Blast Facebook for Concealing Instagram's Risks to Kids

#49

Post by dogorman »

echelon wrote: post #41
jimt1234 wrote: post #35

Sounds like social media platforms might end up like cigarette companies, where they finally acknowledge the harm of their product and add a disclaimer to avoid liability: "This product is designed to manipulate you. It will probably make your life worse." Or, like the drug companies: "If you have depression, suicidal thoughts or find yourself screaming at some rando on the internet, stop taking Facebook and consult…

Maybe a required 20px white on black label affixed to the top of the app at all times. Like a cookie banner, but not dismissible? THIS PRODUCT IS DESIGNED TO MANIPULATE YOUR EMOTIONAL STATE. [READ MORE] That seems totally reasonable to me. We should call our legislators and demand this. This would make society so much better if Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, etc. were forced to bear this marking.

Not that I don't support warning disclaimers on facebook, but "designed to manipulate your emotional state" certainly applies to all movies, music, most books, etc. A big difference between these things and facebook is that facebook is reactive. It constantly measures your emotional state and modifies what it presents you with. Movies, music and books don't do that (yet?)

Facebook reacts to you reacting to facebook; putting you inside a control loop. Facebook is more akin to a car salesman than a movie director; a car salesman who knows virtually everything about you because he's MITMed your social interactions for years, and can modify his individualized approach to manipulating you minute by minute.

Re: Senators Blast Facebook for Concealing Instagram's Risks to Kids

#50

Post by ianai »

supercanuck wrote: post #45
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #43

I can think of no greater waste of human time or energy than these ridiculous Senate "hearings". It's just performance art, on all sides - they should just bring Yoko Ono in and call it a day. The sad thing is that Senators usually call these hearings so they can make tough sound bites against naughty companies, but they usually just end up sounding like idiots (see the other comment about Sen. Blumenthal's "Finsta"…

Senators are accountable to the people, Facebook is accountable to its shareholders. It could be bozo the clown for all I care, but at least, someone is attempting to answer these questions on behalf of parents not technically capable enough to do something about this.

FB is majority owned by Zuck.
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