Facebook will need to change if they are to play any role in advancing connection, improvement and innovation of mankind
It’s not a question of right or left. It’s about right or wrong.
That’s what should be the mission of the companies at the center of public debate. The social media giants like Facebook and Twitter who are disrupting communications and flow of information. Because right now they are doing it all wrong. (Yes, I’m Sorry Mr. Zuckerberg, But You Are Wrong).
By letting bubbles only talk to each other they are enhancing unchallenged statements. And when they create an environment where any statement is as good as the next one and specifically take pride in not interfering it’s the same as verifying and validating those statements. Please, make yourself better, people are starting to ask.
They create bubbles of falsehoods, where people are not able to call the bluff. Instead they build their world view on a skewed foundation. Even Google is validating false stories.
A little surrealism never was a bad thing. But because Facebook and Twitter almost has every adult human being on the planet in their respective networks a little surrealism becomes big scale reality distortion. Fake information is thriving inside the networks because the system is designed for them to thrive and further incubate by the algorithms each time they do something outrageous.
This whole bubble blame game of how the Donald Trump could happen is much worse than what Mark Zuckerberg is acknowledging. Facebook can no longer be ‘I didn’t do it’ boy of global media. It’s not time for tweaks, we need major pivots.
Otherwise the Earth might turn flat again. Or “Bernie Sanders Could Replace President Trump With Little-Known Loophole”.
It’s not just about the fake news or the filter bubbles. It’s a matter of CEO’s losing control of the most powerful media platforms in the world to professional Macedonian trolls. Some even say “Mark Zuckerberg Is in Denial”.
When they say they want to connect people, they actually divide people and deceive them. And the longer they don’t react things will only get worsebecause technology like this is exponential.
So the world’s most powerful media is using all of its super advanced technology on facilitating and enhancing statements that are not only wrong but often times also harmful and damaging to conventions about decent behaviour evolved and decided upon through history to establish ‘good sportsmanship’.
And yes, the social media companies are media operations even if they prefer to call themselves tech companies because they publish and promote content. Like they do on the front page of New York Times or the airwaves of NBC.
With its platform of sophisticated tools for rich human online interaction they are making communication more true and beautifully nuanced in some cases but just as well ugly one dimensional and dead wrong in others. And that makes all the good things not matter. It is causing tremendous damage even in small portions. So even if false stuff is not everywhere it’s accelerating radicalization and extremism. In the US election case “young white men at their most vulnerable”.
They present streams of “information that is curated and limited by the things that will not make you uncomfortable — and certainly will not provide equal airtime to opposing viewpoints”.
It seems like especially Facebook is caught in a bubble of one sided self-glorification because data shows that they are succeeding in engaging people — but what good is that if they are engaging in false content. So we’re begging you: “please make yourself better”.
Facebook, Twitter and everyone else who is making a living on public discourse and connection should turn off the automatic answering machines and take a stand to really follow through on their mission statements. Not just the small step just made public about Facebook following Google on new advertising policies and Twitter is suddenly ready to address online abuse.
Look at the 6.000 word apology and introspection and ransack by the New York Times after 36 stories were discovered to be false. 6.000 words and a complete internal makeover of procedures in order to never let it happen again because of 36 stories!
People don’t like to be led into the dark as tech companies will learn once more and more people find out. It’s already happening now — they are screaming and shouting and even breaking up with the platforms. Maybe the tech companies don’t feel it yet, but they will take notice when the sacred data reveals the reality.
The time is over for anyone not taking a clear stand on our world. If they don’t think there is any distinction between right or wrong, people will leave them. They may not witness it for themselves because they too may be living inside their own bubble.
Remember how people suddenly left the Republican and Democratic establishments for Trump and Sanders because the alternatives had a mission and passion? No one saw that coming. Sadly one of them was like Facebook and Twitter; an accelerator of wrong.
And remember — it’s s not a question of right or left. It’s about right or wrong.
...
If you feel it too, please share this piece with your network and hit ❤️. And if you have any great stories or thoughts on this subject — let us know in the comments.
Take a look at some of our other stories: - Free Speech is Now a Brutal War on the Internet- Emotions will save journalism in the digital age- Holy War on Google
...
For daily perspectives, rants, thoughts & ideas you should follow the Trouble people on Facebook. This post originally appeared on Trouble Stories.