Did you know that Facebook turned 20 this year?
That’s right, the world’s entree into the vast new realm of the entity soon to be known as “social media” is now almost old enough to buy itself a drink. I find that fitting considering the number of people guilty of “drunk posting” over the years.
Facebook began on college campuses as an appearance rating device that required users to have an email address that ended in “.edu”. You had to be a student with a valid email address to be part of early Facebook. As scandalous and immature as that sounds, how about a show of hands of everyone that wishes that was still the case? I signed up in 2009 because one of the March Madness Bracketology contests included instructions to join FB in order to file your entry form. Within days of joining, I knew this might end up bad.
Well, not totally “bad”, but I knew if I wasn’t careful, hours and hours of my time could be sucked down this socially dug rabbit hole. Yes, there was the opportunity to connect with old friends to see where they were now. And, there was plenty of fun stuff being posted by people you were already friends with. But I learned in short order that there were valid reasons why old acquaintances had distanced themselves from me, just as I learned that many of my current friends were funnier in person than they were online.
But there was so much more to learn.
For instance, politics. It took less than one political election cycle for me to realize what an awful place to talk politics Facebook is. It’s a great place to find out which way people lean politically, but as far as effectively discussing politics, this arena is not the place. In short order, social media consumers eliminated their disagreeable “friends” and gravitated toward bubbles of like minded politicos. Avoiding talking politics in social settings, including social media, since way before 2024.
I also remember thinking, “how do they support this platform for free?” because none of the various social media platforms were charging people to set up their accounts. Again, another old axiom; “if you can’t spot the fish in the room, then it’s probably you” came to mind. As my likes, follows, and interests were fleshed out via my daily visits around Facebook, the advertising on my page began to reflect it. Very valuable information was being willfully displayed by users and gleefully gathered by those that had things to sell to those same users. I’d heard of “algorithms” before but I guess I’d never felt part of the greater algorithmic population until I’d been on social media awhile.
And then there’s “clickbait”, posting enticing, sensational, misleading headlines boasting of top 10 lists, (you’re not going to believe No. 7!), dirt, and any number of other scandalous events published for their phishing and your hacking pleasure. To this day, hardly a week goes by without a Facebook “friend” of mine warning us all to not accept friend requests from them.
Recently the CEO’s of a few social media platforms were called to Washington D.C. for a public hearing with our elected officials. The darker side of social media is a very real problem and the politicians took the occasion to grandstand and express mock shock at the state of things. And of course those CEO’s daintily sidestepped their shock with dazzling dexterity.
A bunch of “friends” wasting time talking politics and baiting each other … but at least they were doing it face to face.