Ex-Facebook Exec. Plagued by Guilt: "Ripping Apart Society"

[luckyshot]

Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya, Facebook’s former head of user growth, told the Stanford Graduate School of Business that he feels “tremendous guilt” over Facebook’s divisive role in society and deep regret over his involvement with the company's work.

Highlights:
- "Former Facebook president Sean Parker expressed fears over what the social network programming is “doing to our children’s brains.”

- FB was purposely developed to be addictive, using the “social-validation feedback loop."

- Facebook encourages “fake, brittle popularity” that drives people to keep sharing posts that they think will gain other people’s approval.

-“Even though we feigned this whole line of, like, ‘There probably aren’t any really bad unintended consequences,’ I think in the back, deep, deep recesses of our minds, we kind of knew something bad could happen.”

- “My solution is I just don’t use these tools [any social media] anymore,” Palihapitiya said. “I haven’t for years. It’s created huge tension with my friends…I guess I kind of innately didn’t want to get programmed.” He also doesn’t allow his children to use social networks, he added.


http://fortune.com/2017/12/12/chamath-palihapitiya-facebook-society/

 

[Son of Jamin]

I don't use social media like Facebook or Instagram, neither will my kids when they become older.

 

[HockeyBjj]

He’s not wrong. I have a Facebook, too many people use it for announcements and events, but I don’t post much

Wife though... she actually does have a problem with it. The whole affirmation and validation thing is her with her posts. To the point that she’s tried going a week without it to break the addiction and she struggles.

Definitely a bigger problem for women who crave that virtual pat on the back

 

[Swing]

I quit Facebook a while ago and then signed back up just in case people I used to be close with need to get a hold of me. An old military friend committed suicide a couple of years ago, and it fell to a buddy of mine who still had my contact info to inform me. That was a depressing phone call. Now, I just ignore anything that isn't a personal message, and FB doesn't annoy me so much.

 

[Diamond Jim]

I still use Facebook to keep in touch with military friends and my family in NY. Most of them don’t post political shit, I don’t either, but the ones that do are always sharing the most ridiculous shit that can easily be debunked with a quick google search.

 

[luckyshot]

I've mostly stopped using Facebook because the political posts just made my blood boil too often-- more from people I agree with than disagree with, by the way.

It wasn't so much the content as the amount and the hyperbole. Having a constant, continuous stream of outrage porn isn't healthy, imo.

 

[OverCoronavirus Pressure]

It really enables petty gripes to be magnified. It also serves as a great conduit for influence.
I'm so glad I avoided it.

 

[Swing]

I've mostly stopped using Facebook because the political posts just made my blood boil too often-- more from people I agree with than disagree with, by the way.

It wasn't so much the content as the amount and the hyperbole. Having a constant, continuous stream of outrage porn isn't healthy, imo.

It's odd to me that forums have taken such a backseat to platforms like Facebook and Instagram. I prefer having to actively enter a thread of discussion. It's way better than needing to sift through an avalanche of notifications rife with everyone's baggage. If you click on a thread you're tacitly agreeing to put up with the bullshit that may occur inside. I think it makes for a much better experience.

 

[method115]

I use it but barely post at all.Mainly use it just to keep in touch with people from across the country.

 

[Swing]

It's odd to me that forums have taken such a backseat to platforms like Facebook and Instagram. I prefer having to actively enter a thread of discussion. It's way better than needing to sift through an avalanche of notifications rife with everyone's baggage. If you click on a thread you're tacitly agreeing to put up with the bullshit that may occur inside. I think it makes for a much better experience.

Plus I can take pleasure in the catharsis of the occasional shit post without having my name be forever attached to it.

 

[DC23]

Wife though... she actually does have a problem with it. The whole affirmation and validation thing is her with her posts. To the point that she’s tried going a week without it to break the addiction and she struggles.

Definitely a bigger problem for women who crave that virtual pat on the back

Amen to that. Huge problem imo.

 

[PoundForPound]

I don't use social media like Facebook or Instagram, neither will my kids when they become older.

Moderation is key, my friend.

 

[Son of Jamin]

Moderation is key, my friend.

Fair point but I see no point posting pictures of my dinner or spying on what some old class mate is doing.

I have hard enough time to shit post on Sherdog so I chose my time wisely by keeping in contact with my real friends without using social media.

 

[sub_thug]

Social media was something that I quit a few years ago, and I’m glad it’s gone. Been trying to convince the wife to delete hers, but she likes having it for friends, distant relatives, etc. I just don’t think that the positives offset the negatives and dangers of it.

 

[chardog]

adapt or die. It's not going away.

social media is not too difficult, and a lot of folks no longer engage and simply lurk. That's adaptation. What I like is the super communication factor, everyone and their moms is on social media, so I can contact them if they are truly my friend. I setup acquaintances as just that, and I simply dont share any of my life with acquaintances.

it's a simple method to having privacy and making use of social medias wide reach.

 

[PoundForPound]

Fair point but I see no point posting pictures of my dinner or spying on what some old class mate is doing.

I have hard enough time to shit post on Sherdog so I chose my time wisely by keeping in contact with my real friends without using social media.

I'm with you. I have a fb account with thousands of friends but hardly check it. FB just makes it easier being accessible.

I will admit, with much shame, that I spend too much time on sherdog.

About your kids never using it: You really want to be that controlling?

 

[P4p Islam]

I use Facebook for sports news, memes, and keeping up with out-of-state friends. I haven't added anybody or posted anything on my profile in years either.


I feel like a pretentious self-important tween every time I post something on it.

 

[Son of Jamin]

I'm with you. I have a fb account with thousands of friends but hardly check it. FB just makes it easier being accessible.

I will admit, with much shame, that I spend too much time on sherdog.

About your kids never using it: You really want to be that controlling?

Not controlling, I want to lead by example. If I'm constantly occupied with my iPhone or iPad on social media, my kids will pick up on it and it will be more or less ingrained in them to be absorbed by non-human interaction through social media.

I will also keep them busy with school work, working out, spending quality time with them as well as enable them to hang out with real friends. I will also be factual and inform them about the pros and cons about social media.

 

[BudKing8806]

I haven't had Facebook in years. It was cool when you had to have a .edu email address to sign up and was only for college age people. As soon as everyone was able to make an account it went to shit. It's funny how my family who used to tell me "youre always on that computer doing Facebook and stuff" are now the ones you can barely talk to due to their constant facebooking.

 

[PrinceOfPain]

He couldn't possibly feel as much guilt as he should.