What would it take to make you stop using Facebook and delete your account?

Forums › Social networks, social media and tools › What would it take to make you stop using Facebook and delete your account?

geekiegeek

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#271795 27-May-2020 09:41

It seems that almost every day that goes by we learn more and more about how bad Facebook (and arguably all social media) is for society. Recently it has been found that FB knows that its algorithms are a major cause of pushing people to extremist views, including a report that anti-vaxers will soon outnumber vaxers due to social media disinformation.

A recent piece by WSJ shows that FB knows that it is causing negative changes to society and yet has decided to do nothing about it.

https://www.engadget.com/facebook-resisted-efforts-to-be-less-divisive-report-203314601.html

In my own opinion, if you use these platforms you are in effect supporting what they are doing.

So I'm keen to understand why people continue to use a platform that as far as I can tell does far more bad than good in the world and how bad does it have to get for you to stop supporting companies like Facebook?

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#2492544 27-May-2020 09:47

I originally signed up to Facebook and treated it as a self-updating address book. Nobody displays their e-mail address on there anymore, but people keep sending me messages, forcing me to use the platform.

I've disabled my account and now only use Messenger. The day I can delete that will be a great one.

dclegg

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#2492546 27-May-2020 09:48

I'm a Coeliac, and I primarily use it to access a Facebook group used as a peer support network for New Zealand Coeliacs. It was an invaluable tool for me when I was first diagnosed back in 2015, and I have since been made an admin of the group.

The problem with migrating people away from Facebook is that it is very easy to setup and discover such peer support groups. And even the most non-technical of users find the interface easy to use.

Somebody needs to come up with an alternative for use cases such as this. But it feels a lot like the Trade Me problem that gets discussed here often. People go where the traffic is, so it's easy to end up with a very niche online forum for hosting this sort of content.

Mahon

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#2492547 27-May-2020 09:48

Already deleted

geekiegeek

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#2492548 27-May-2020 09:48

SirHumphreyAppleby:

I originally signed up to Facebook and treated it as a self-updating address book. Nobody displays their e-mail address on there anymore, but people keep sending me messages, forcing me to use the platform.

I've disabled my account and now only use Messenger. The day I can delete that will be a great one.

They also changed the rules recently to force people signing up for messenger to also create a FB account whereas in the past you could have one without the other.

alasta

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#2492552 27-May-2020 09:49

I stopped my daily use of Facebook last year and would love to delete my account. Unfortunately I have friends who insist on using it to contact me and invite me to events despite knowing that I am old fashioned and prefer email.

Part of me thinks that I should just quit Facebook and hence force people to communicate with me via other means, but the FOMO is real...

geekiegeek

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#2492561 27-May-2020 09:58

dclegg:

I'm a Coeliac, and I primarily use it to access a Facebook group used as a peer support network for New Zealand Coeliacs. It was an invaluable tool for me when I was first diagnosed back in 2015, and I have since been made an admin of the group.

The problem with migrating people away from Facebook is that it is very easy to setup and discover such peer support groups. And even the most non-technical of users find the interface easy to use.

Somebody needs to come up with an alternative for use cases such as this. But it feels a lot like the Trade Me problem that gets discussed here often. People go where the traffic is, so it's easy to end up with a very niche online forum for hosting this sort of content.

This and "all my family/friends are there" seems to be the reason most people give for using the service but surely there is a point where this becomes a harder position to keep pursuing due to the social harm outweighing the social good. Yes, this support group is helpful to you personally but at the same time, the platform used is creating extremists and pushing conspiracy theories.

The same ease of finding support groups is exactly the same ease of finding support for any crazy idea people might have. I also read recently that any fake news scanning etc. they do do isn't applied to private groups - exactly where it is most needed.

I'm not saying your use is wrong by the way, but keen to know what would they have to do for you to decide that it wasn't morally acceptable any longer to continues using the service?

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geekiegeek

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#2492564 27-May-2020 09:59

alasta:

I stopped my daily use of Facebook last year and would love to delete my account. Unfortunately I have friends who insist on using it to contact me and invite me to events despite knowing that I am old fashioned and prefer email.

Part of me thinks that I should just quit Facebook and hence force people to communicate with me via other means, but the FOMO is real...

I totally quit all social media a couple of years ago and people just got used to it. I still go out and I still socialise.

dclegg

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#2492569 27-May-2020 10:03

geekiegeek:

This and "all my family/friends are there" seems to be the reason most people give for using the service but surely there is a point where this becomes a harder position to keep pursuing due to the social harm outweighing the social good. Yes, this support group is helpful to you personally but at the same time, the platform used is creating extremists and pushing conspiracy theories.

Yes, this is a very valid point. And it weighs on me often.

I mentioned that I'm a group admin. I didn't mention that I'm one of only three (with another being my non-Coeliac wife). Our admin duties are increasing significantly as the community grows, so I need some sort of exit strategy to ensure this is taken care of before I leave the platform.

I also need a replacement for Messenger that my wife and kids will actually use.

geekiegeek

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#2492572 27-May-2020 10:06

They have done a very good job at making themselves "indispensable" and sticky so it's hard to quit for sure.

Wakrak

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#2492579 27-May-2020 10:14

Several reasons why I use it:

- Keep in touch with events, family, and friends (many overseas), especially through messenger

- Important for staying updated on marae/iwi meetings; language course updates, scholarships, others in my course/field/university etc (current Masters student).

- Great place to buy/sell items quickly compared to Trade Me, and a great place to ask for advice on things such as plants and computers.

If friends and family didn't used it, then mine would probably be gone. Until then, it remains deactivated. I've disliked many of the pages I was following, so when I do go on, my timeline is rather bare. Which is nice.

I am aware of the risks I take when logging in, re: negative causes, so I do my best to avoid those areas of Facebook. Until it stops serving my needs, I will remain a member.

antonknee

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#2492586 27-May-2020 10:20

Like others have mentioned, I'm attached to the support groups and my friends use it for events and Messenger.

I hate it, and actively avoid it for other reasons. Many times I've considered deleting the account. At one stage I deleted the FB side of it and just used Messenger, but found I missed the support groups.

I think Facebook is just a microcosm of the world though. The nasty stuff is out there anyway, Facebook just connects it - much like it does the 'good' stuff. It's a shame they don't control this better but then I suppose the question becomes where do you draw the line?

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geekiegeek

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#2492588 27-May-2020 10:23

Wakrak:

I am aware of the risks I take when logging in, re: negative causes, so I do my best to avoid those areas of Facebook. Until it stops serving my needs, I will remain a member.

Yes, you may be avoiding extremist views personally but do you think that your continued use of the platform is also indirectly helping to provide that platform for those same extremists? Remember that Facebook is "free" so anybody using the platform and viewing ads is how it keeps operating.

Not wanting to pick on you personally but I think your point leads to an interesting counter-argument - if the Nazi Party provided a service that I found helpful and paid for it by serving me some ads, would it be ok to put aside all the other things the Nazi party does because I'm not directly involved and use their platform anyway?

geekiegeek

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#2492607 27-May-2020 10:27

antonknee:

I think Facebook is just a microcosm of the world though. The nasty stuff is out there anyway, Facebook just connects it - much like it does the 'good' stuff. It's a shame they don't control this better but then I suppose the question becomes where do you draw the line?

And I think that's a major question, what level of social responsibility should Facebook be held to. At the moment they seem to do everything in their power to avoid any social responsibility as they see it affecting their bottom line or pay lip service just to avoid further regulation.

Wakrak

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#2492642 27-May-2020 10:52

geekiegeek:

Yes, you may be avoiding extremist views personally but do you think that your continued use of the platform is also indirectly helping to provide that platform for those same extremists? Remember that Facebook is "free" so anybody using the platform and viewing ads is how it keeps operating.

Not wanting to pick on you personally but I think your point leads to an interesting counter-argument - if the Nazi Party provided a service that I found helpful and paid for it by serving me some ads, would it be ok to put aside all the other things the Nazi party does because I'm not directly involved and use their platform anyway?

I think it's easy for many, including myself, to not regard Facebook in that manner because it is not a 'political party'. Though they show all the signs of being an overbearing political power, and an enabler of data, I suspect that many see Facebook as I do, just a meeting place. Albeit one not on neutral grounds. As such, I think its easy for the everyday user to turn a blind eye and continue to take advantages of the services Facebook offers. I can easily imagine a family member of mine thinking, 'cool they have my data, and what. As long as they're not stealing my money. Just trying to sell an ironing-board man.'

I think this comes down to several key points; I don't understand fully how facebook works. I don't understand how they're using my data. I don't see any direct effect, especially using only messenger, so am unaware of the negative consequences. Just trying to sell an ironing-board.

elpenguino

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#2492643 27-May-2020 10:53

I've never signed up.

The whole thing seems really naff especially the way it encourages users to cherry pick happy perfect moments from their life to post.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

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