{"id":11682,"date":"2018-03-23T13:46:10","date_gmt":"2018-03-23T13:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=11682"},"modified":"2018-03-23T13:46:10","modified_gmt":"2018-03-23T13:46:10","slug":"dont-quit-facebook-but-dont-trust-it-either","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/dont-quit-facebook-but-dont-trust-it-either\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t quit Facebook, but don’t trust it, either"},"content":{"rendered":"

Denise Anthony<\/a>, Dartmouth College<\/a><\/em> and Luke Stark<\/a>, Dartmouth College<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Is it time to give up on social media<\/a>? Many people are thinking about that in the wake of revelations regarding Cambridge Analytica\u2019s questionable use<\/a> of personal data from over 50 million Facebook users to support the Trump campaign. Not to mention the troubles with data theft<\/a>, trolling, harassment<\/a>, the proliferation of fake news<\/a>, conspiracy theories and Russian bots<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The real societal problem<\/a> might be Facebook\u2019s business model<\/a>. Along with other social media platforms, it makes money by nudging users to provide their data (without understanding the potential consequences), and then using that data in ways well beyond what people may expect.<\/p>\n

As researchers who study social media<\/a> and the impact of new technologies on society<\/a> in both the past and the present, we share these concerns. However, we\u2019re not ready to give up<\/a> on the idea of social media just yet. A main reason is that, like all forms of once \u201cnew\u201d media<\/a> (including everything from the telegraph to the internet), social media has become an essential conduit<\/a> for interacting with other people. We don\u2019t think it\u2019s reasonable for users to be told their only hope of avoiding exploitation<\/a> is to isolate themselves. And for many vulnerable people, including members of impoverished, marginalized or activist communities<\/a>, leaving Facebook is simply not possible<\/a> anyway.<\/p>\n

As individuals, and society as a whole, come to better understand the role social media plays in life and politics, they\u2019re wondering: Is it possible \u2013 or worthwhile \u2013 to trust Facebook?<\/p>\n

Designing for attention<\/h2>\n

Of course, social media platforms don\u2019t exist without their users. Facebook has grown from its origins serving only college students by exploiting the network effect<\/a>: If all your friends are socializing on the site, it\u2019s tempting to join yourself. Over time this network effect has made Facebook not only more valuable, but also harder to leave. <\/p>\n

However, now that Facebook and its ilk are under fire, it\u2019s possible that those network effects might unravel the other way: Facebook\u2019s number of active users continued to rise in 2017<\/a>, but in the final three months of the year, its growth showed signs of slowing. If all your friends are leaving Facebook, you might go with them.<\/p>\n

The design of social media platforms like Facebook \u2013 and many other common apps, such as Uber \u2013 is intentionally engrossing. Some scholars go so far as to call it \u201caddictive<\/a>,\u201d but we\u2019re uncomfortable using the term so broadly in this context. Nevertheless, digital designers manipulate users\u2019 behavior<\/a> with a wide array of interface elements and interaction strategies<\/a>, such as nudges<\/a> and cultivating routines and habits, to keep users\u2019 attention.<\/p>\n

Attention is at the center of the social media business model because it\u2019s worth money: Media theorist Jonathan Beller has observed that \u201chuman attention is productive of value<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n