What Is Your Opinion?

Do you know what I think when I hear the word 'Facebook'?

Several things come to mind. Greed. Inconsistency.  Politics. Right-wing tendencies. Data mining. Lies.

Let's look at these things one at a time. Greed. Nothing personifies Zuckerberg and his minions more than greed. Facebook, it seems, will do anything to make a buck. Newsfeeds are so filled with ads -- most of them totally irrelevant -- that it often seems there are as many ads as posts. And whatever the Facebook algorithms are that determine ad placement, they suck. Why do I see ads for hardware stores in Indiana when I live in New Mexico? Or ads looking for an anesthesiologist? (And who advertises for a skilled medical professional on Facebook anyway?) But I guess the greedy at FB will take any ad as long as they get paid to blast the ad everywhere, right?

Inconsistency. The application of the so-called 'community standards' is a joke. Posts glorifying the slaughter of animals are OK, but I was warned that I had posted 'hate speech' because I had commented that I was sick of the ongoing actions by China to send numerous animal species to the brink of extinction. That was not hate speech. I never used hurtful language. I never used a racial slur. I never called for the extermination of everyone living in China. But the goons at Facebook apparently considered my comment to be hate speech. The so-called community standards are applied inconsistently, or not at all, depending on -- what? No one knows.

Politics and right-wing leanings. These became too obvious in the run-up to the 2020 federal elections. Independent studies have shown the right-wing tendencies and policies in play at the social media giant.

Data mining. Have you noticed how, if you do an Internet search for something -- say, a new printer -- all of a sudden your FB newsfeed is filled with ads for printers? 

Pressure to buy an ad to promote my tiny photography business. I used t6o hid these ads, but6 now Facebook has removed my ability to do that.

The bottom line is, I am sick of Facebook. The ads are endless, especially when it comes to the constant pressure for me to 'boost this post' or 'connect with customers with an ad', and pay for ads for my small photography business. 

And like other social media, Facebook brings out the worst in so many keyboard warriors. People seem to feel emboldened to post hate-filled, inflammatory garbage, knowing that nothing will be done to rein them in.

The only reason I keep a presence on Facebook is because it provides an easy way to promote the sale of custom photo wall calendars, something I do to raise funds for a charity. Even then, I question whether I will maintain my presence. I stopped using my Instagram and Twitter accounts many years ago. Social media needs to be known as asocial media. I believe it does more harm than good.

Social media has outlived its usefulness in nearly all arenas. Whether I continue to maintain a presence remains to be seen.

What are your thoughts about t his behemoth platform? Good or bad?