How Would You Replace Facebook?
Question for you: If Facebook wasn’t an option, what would you do to stay in touch with your friends and family?
Specifically: if I left Facebook, or if you left Facebook, or if other people in your life left Facebook (and many already have), what would you be willing to do to replace what Facebook gives you?
It should come as no surprise that Facebook has a ton of problems that are degrading our society, relationships, and mental health:
- They spend billions of dollars every year in coming up with new ways to turn your attention into advertising revenue.
- They do this by learning how to hold your attention regardless of how it affects you. i.e.: How they can turn you into an addict.
- They make their money by profiling you and selling that information to advertisers. i.e.: Destroying any privacy you thought you had.
- Those advertisers include political organizations, who need your attention to win power over you. They pay Facebook to get you angry enough to vote against your own self-interest.
They shouldn’t exist, but by being here we’re supporting them. It’s long past time to change that.
But they do bring us things we like: messaging, events, photo sharing. That’s why we’re still here, even though we should be gone.
Facebook brings everything and everyone together in one place, which is very useful – but that is also exactly the reason why they are dangerous and destructive. (It’s the the Network Effect coupled with profit incentive, no regulation, and loose ethics. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_effect)
I’m still here, but just barely; I’ve intentionally and dramatically reduced my involvement because being here is not good for me or my society.
We had Internet communication before Facebook. Everything that they give us, we can find from other places. Here’s a few options that I already know about; there’s bound to be others:
- SMS
- Blogs & RSS
- Photo-sharing sites (Flickr still exists)
- Group chat apps like Discord and Slack
- Messaging apps like Telegram and Signal
- Calendar invites (.ics)
Plus, good old face-to-face meetups.
We have options. It’s just a matter of choosing them.
What are you willing to do in order to get off of Facebook? How can you help others do the same?
(This is inspired by my long-time friend Marco. He’s the guy who hosts The Political Omnivore, which I’ve referred to many times here. He’s deciding to leave Facebook, in part due to FB’s cozy relationship with the White House and continued support of public disinformation. He’s gained a lot of his popularity through Facebook, but he recognizes the damage they’re doing and wants out of it.)