Facebook Has Robbed Us of A Generation

I went looking for older Americans — not full-blown conspiracy theorists, trolls or partisan activists — whose news consumption has increased sharply in the last few years on Facebook. Neither of the two people I settled on described themselves as partisans. Both used to identify as conservatives slowly drifting leftward until Donald Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party offered a final push. Both voted for Joe Biden this year in part because of his promise to reach across the aisle. Both bemoaned the toxicity of our current politics.

What Facebook Fed the Baby Boomers

Excellent article in the NYTimes – What Facebook Fed the Baby Boomers . I think we can all think of examples of people that have been radicalized in our families. While, we are used to the crazy uncle or two, the propaganda that Facebook feeds people in the name of monetization is disgusting.

In this article, Charlie Warzel spies into the feed of two Baby Boomers to see their infinite scroll of brainwash. It’s enlightening to read, but also sad and infuriating to know that there are members of my family that I can no longer have a rational conversation with this Thanksgiving.

For all the folks that work at Facebook, perhaps your next job could be with a Tobacco company. You might be doing less damage, and only killing the people that make a choice at one point rather than all of democracy. You have made a choice, and not sure how you can really look at yourselves in a mirror.

We should bring Shame back. It used to serve us well.