On Twitter the hashtag #DeleteFacebook is trending as a response to their not deleting a fake video featuring U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The responsible thing would be to delete it and offer an editorial retraction as a way of discouraging future events from happening. Lots of fake news and click bait are ruining it for everyone. Algorithms the site uses often don’t make sense in how it displays information on your feed.
Personally deleting Facebook wouldn’t be so easy. As a social network organically Facebook is still a good platform for person to person contacts. A lot of people I know use it and its a good way to keep up with what is happening in their lives. I also have connections with others who are like minded who are sharing what is on their hearts and minds about the state of the world we live in.
Being mindful and using careful judgement would make Facebook a better place. Using tools available to customize your experience and what information you see would be a best practice. I also think keeping the dark details of ones personal life off the platform would be best. The less someone knows the better it can be for you.
Ultimately Facebook does need more checks and balances. It needs to be policed and to create a safe place for everyone. Regulation would be appropriate in order to get it under control. No doubt it needs radical change not only in what you see but those behind the scenes who run the company. The network can be saved but it probably needs to have some sort of digital “chemotherapy” to make it well again.
Many of you have heard about the Facebook story involving Cambridge Analytica and user data being mined for political use. So many things you do on the site are being stored for research and some of it is being used to manipulate behaviors and opinion. You can search for more on this story for further details.
