Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Facebook proven to negatively impact mental health

english.tau.ac.il

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 263 posts

Re: Facebook proven to negatively impact mental health

#111

Post by nvarsj »

inamberclad wrote: post #57

I wonder how people continue to work at Facebook. I know they tend to have the highest salaries from the FAANG groups, but still. We, as engineers and builders, have the responsibility to think critically about how the things we are working on will be used.

As an engineer, you should love FB. They had a large hand in breaking up the lowball salary cartel maintained by Google and Apple, and set a precedent in the industry for paying engineers well. As far as societal impact - it's debatable whether it's a net good or not.

Re: Facebook proven to negatively impact mental health

#113

Post by nkingsy »

dylan604 wrote: post #110
nkingsy wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a tragedy of the commons situation because people cannot help themselves. What we are actually seeing is users going to TikTok because it is even more engaging. People may say they want to keep up with their friends, but they will choose the more engaging activity. There is no regulating or out-competing it. Governments should provide identification, communication, community, payments, etc platforms for their…

>This is a tragedy of the commons situation because people cannot help themselves. SOME people cannot help themselves. I spend 0 minutes on social platforms. I can help myself just fine. Some people have much more addictive personality traits than others. Please, don't paint everyone with the same broad brush. It doesn't help the conversation in a meaningful manner

First off you’re on hn, which is social media and absolutely optimized for your specific engagement.

I also figured the “some” was implied because the world is a complicated place. I do believe we all have our weaknesses, though mindless consumption is more attractive to some than others.

Re: Facebook proven to negatively impact mental health

#114

Post by Tainnor »

andrewla wrote: post #99

As with all studies in the social sciences, one of two principles apply. First, if the conclusions are counterintuitive or unexpected, then when you look closer, you will find that the methodology is garbage and that it does not support the conclusions given. Second, if the conclusions reflect things that you believe are true, when you look closer, you will find that the methodology is garbage and that it does not su…

That's a low-effort, shallow dismissal that doesn't even address anything specific to the article.

If you have specific criticism regarding the methodology of this study - which doesn't, prima facie, appear unsound - please let the rest of us participate.

Re: Facebook proven to negatively impact mental health

#115

Post by random314 »

Tainnor wrote: post #114
andrewla wrote: post #99

As with all studies in the social sciences, one of two principles apply. First, if the conclusions are counterintuitive or unexpected, then when you look closer, you will find that the methodology is garbage and that it does not support the conclusions given. Second, if the conclusions reflect things that you believe are true, when you look closer, you will find that the methodology is garbage and that it does not su…

That's a low-effort, shallow dismissal that doesn't even address anything specific to the article. If you have specific criticism regarding the methodology of this study - which doesn't, prima facie, appear unsound - please let the rest of us participate.

I will take a stab. Mind you, I have not even clicked on the article, much less read it or know what the methodology is. Here goes ----

"The have used a correlational model, not a causal model. There are several confounding variables the paper doesn't consider, hence it is not proven from the evidence that Facebook has a negative impact "

Re: Facebook proven to negatively impact mental health

#116

Post by altdataseller »

andrewla wrote: post #99

As with all studies in the social sciences, one of two principles apply. First, if the conclusions are counterintuitive or unexpected, then when you look closer, you will find that the methodology is garbage and that it does not support the conclusions given. Second, if the conclusions reflect things that you believe are true, when you look closer, you will find that the methodology is garbage and that it does not su…

Your methodology for analyzing the methodology of this report is unsound (FB still is bad for mental health though)

Re: Facebook proven to negatively impact mental health

#118

Post by themitigating »

mayowaxcvi wrote: post #85
dougweltman wrote: post #48

Quoted post unavailable.

- brought to you by the academic fields that can reliably predict almost nothing.

I'm happy that at least a decent portion the comments here are treating this with the same skepticism as other studies on HN. I was actually expecting people to accept it because of the hate towards Facebook.

Re: Facebook proven to negatively impact mental health

#119

Post by foobiekr »

inamberclad wrote: post #57

I wonder how people continue to work at Facebook. I know they tend to have the highest salaries from the FAANG groups, but still. We, as engineers and builders, have the responsibility to think critically about how the things we are working on will be used.

In most engineer discussion contexts, the second the topic of how obviously evil, manipulative, and socially destructive the social, gig, and ad companies that pay well comes up, the people who work or worked for them or aspire to make Facebook/Google/Uber/... comp packages will go to great lengths to defend them. It is really incredible how transparent it is.

"Hey, there are crack dealers, people selling cigarettes, etc. Why are you singling out Facebook?"

It's almost like they know the issue, but think that somehow the existence of even worse scumbags provides them with ethics aircover.

Re: Facebook proven to negatively impact mental health

#120

Post by mattnewton »

otikik wrote: post #68
gergov wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, engagement at all cost it is, but there is a fundamental difference. Television required professionals where even wrestling and reality TV is scripted: it requires some sort of willful ignorance from the viewer to engage with it. Social media pushes the illusion that you are not engaging with professionals but peers, and the dominant signals (how many views, likes, comments, etc.) of this day and age were not…

> some sort of willful ignorance Not "some sort of willful ignorance". It just requires "ignorance". I think most of us know someone who thinks that reality TV is ... well, reality. "It says it in the name". > Show a kid a celebrity pushing something and they can tell it's fake Perhaps you have very bright kids. My kid will ask me to buy two of whatever that person is pushing. He's simply not equipped to handle marke…

I’m not sure we’re equipped as a society, otherwise why would marketing budgets be so high?

I know adults who voted for Trump because they believed the apprentice gave them an unvarnished view of his character and decision making prowess in the real world. My own grandmother would cite episodes of the show.

Post reply on HN