The TED talk I\u2019ve just listened to by Ya\u00ebl Eisenstat (Dear Facebook, this is how you’re breaking democracy, Aug2020), is important because it explains how Facebook\u2019s business model is dependent on creating constant interest and emotion in its users. This ultimately leads to the system essentially promoting extremism. As I was listening, it occurred to me that it is Facebook\u2019s structures (the extra functionality provided around a simple messaging system \u2013 such as adding a \u2018like\u2019 button) that dictates this result. A Social Media system with a different set of structures could avoid such harmful effects. Perhaps it\u2019s time for competitors, or an Open Source operation, to create a messaging system with structures that promote a society with people who listen to each other and work together; and to draw users away from Facebook. In the meantime, the more people who listen to Ms. Eisenstat\u2019s talk the better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The TED talk I\u2019ve just listened to by Ya\u00ebl Eisenstat (Dear Facebook, this is how you’re breaking democracy, Aug2020), is important because it explains how Facebook\u2019s business model is dependent on creating constant interest and emotion in its users. This … Continue reading