Facebook Profits vs. Society Well-being

Facebook Profits vs. Society Well-being

This article outlines how Facebook and other social platforms are harming children, creating an illusion amongst teenagers, especially girls, about being thin, promoting eating disorders, not being beautiful enough.

This eating disorder, being thin was an account of an active Facebook user, a 13-year-old girl, that wanted to be thin, accepted by her peers, and thought it was “fashionable” to be skin and bones. The algorithm of the social media platform, Facebook encouraged this behavior. By using their algorithm in directing more likes to the account, encouraging eating disorder, promoting thin-inspiration and fit-inspiration. The Facebook account of this 13-year-old girl was taken off, only after a complaint was submitted by CNN.

This action of Facebook resulted in:

·????????More likes on the content of eating disorders, thin teens and desire to weight-loss

·????????Increased social comparisons

·????????Rely on kids to be more online

·????????Facebook were able to gather much more data on users

·????????Digital advertising sales increased

The big question is, what’s governments, stakeholders, corporate, competition bodies, policy makers, NGO’s, agencies or you and me doing about that?

Should governments and policy makers not regulate Facebook and other social media platforms that has an exploitative business model? Or rather force through policies and by-laws Facebook and other social media platforms through regulation in preventing them from harming kids. We definitely need regulators and policy makers to step in.

“Facebook was not created with the intention to harm, but exploiting and tapping into anger, outrage and emotions, kept users on the platform longer.” Francis Haugen – CBS 60minutes

Facebook knew users are being harmed, but bury its own research to protect profits. Facebook knew that internal documents found that Instagram was toxic for young users, but made minimal effort to address the issue. Former Facebook employee, now whistleblower, Francis Haugen, will testify on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, 5th Oct’21, about the damage her former employer inflicts on teenagers.

The whistleblower, expressly noted “Instagram is more harmful to teenagers than any other social media platform.” This is so, because teens who struggle with mental health issues, Instagram makes it worse, because:

These types of accounts are promoted through its algorithm, with the following results;

o???Improved likes on their social media accounts

o???Promoting eating-disorders

o???Body comparisons

o???Glorifying eating disorders

o???Creates negative body image

Twitter and TikTok reported higher than normal usage, during this “outage” of Facebook. Shares of Facebook closed 4.5% lower, wiping off $475bn of its market value. Whistleblower’s leaked documents allege the company knew its products were fueling hate and harming children’s mental health, and has accused the social media giant of choosing “profit over safety”.

?“Facebook prematurely turned off safeguards that’s designed to combat misinformation after Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in last year’s elections, a money-making move “Francis Haugen – CBS 60minutes

New algorithms are sowing discord, they helped to keep people returning to the social media platform, allowing Facebook to sell more digital ads. This led to a remark made by the whistleblower, “what’s for the public vs. what’s good for Facebook”?

“Facebook’s algorithms contributed to political dissent along with mental health and emotional problems among teenagers, especially girls”. (Extract from leaked documents, CBS 60 minutes)

Facebook revenue doubled from $56bn in 2018, to currently standing at $119bn. Facebook value in 2018 was $375bn, to currently valued at $1trillion. Facebook makes more money when you consume more content.Facebook Profits vs. Society Well-being

This article outlines how Facebook and other social platforms are harming children, creating an illusion amongst teenagers, especially girls, about being thin, promoting eating disorders, not being beautiful enough.

This eating disorder, being thin was an account of an active Facebook user, a 13-year-old girl, that wanted to be thin, accepted by her peers, and thought it was “fashionable” to be skin and bones. The algorithm of the social media platform, Facebook encouraged this behavior. By using their algorithm in directing more likes to the account, encouraging eating disorder, promoting thin-inspiration and fit-inspiration. The Facebook account of this 13-year-old girl was taken off, only after a complaint was submitted by CNN.

This action of Facebook resulted in:

·????????More likes on the content of eating disorders, thin teens and desire to weight-loss

·????????Increased social comparisons

·????????Rely on kids to be more online

·????????Facebook were able to gather much more data on users

·????????Digital advertising sales increased

The big question is, what’s governments, stakeholders, corporate, competition bodies, policy makers, NGO’s, agencies or you and me doing about that?

Should governments and policy makers not regulate Facebook and other social media platforms that has an exploitative business model? Or rather force through policies and by-laws Facebook and other social media platforms through regulation in preventing them from harming kids. We definitely need regulators and policy makers to step in.

“Facebook was not created with the intention to harm, but exploiting and tapping into anger, outrage and emotions, kept users on the platform longer.” Francis Haugen – CBS 60minutes

Facebook knew users are being harmed, but bury its own research to protect profits. Facebook knew that internal documents found that Instagram was toxic for young users, but made minimal effort to address the issue. Former Facebook employee, now whistleblower, Francis Haugen, will testify on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, 5th Oct’21, about the damage her former employer inflicts on teenagers.

The whistleblower, expressly noted “Instagram is more harmful to teenagers than any other social media platform.” This is so, because teens who struggle with mental health issues, Instagram makes it worse, because:

These types of accounts are promoted through its algorithm, with the following results;

o???Improved likes on their social media accounts

o???Promoting eating-disorders

o???Body comparisons

o???Glorifying eating disorders

o???Creates negative body image

Twitter and TikTok reported higher than normal usage, during this “outage” of Facebook. Shares of Facebook closed 4.5% lower, wiping off $475bn of its market value. Whistleblower’s leaked documents allege the company knew its products were fueling hate and harming children’s mental health, and has accused the social media giant of choosing “profit over safety”.

?

“Facebook prematurely turned off safeguards that’s designed to combat misinformation after Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in last year’s elections, a money-making move “Francis Haugen – CBS 60minutes

New algorithms are sowing discord, they helped to keep people returning to the social media platform, allowing Facebook to sell more digital ads. This led to a remark made by the whistleblower, “what’s for the public vs. what’s good for Facebook”?

“Facebook’s algorithms contributed to political dissent along with mental health and emotional problems among teenagers, especially girls”. (Extract from leaked documents – CBS 60 minutes)