Facebook is watching.
That’s no secret. And, to be honest, most people probably don’t care. What matters is boasting about your achievements or victimizing yourself with your failures. Anything counts as long as you get some attention. This social network has become a display window to other people’s lives, or I’d say, to their version of what their lives should be like: ideal, perfect, and brilliant.
Something that hasn’t probably crossed your mind is that Facebook constantly analyzes your emotional status to determine which ads will catch your attention. According to an article in The Australian, Facebook uses sophisticated algorithms to target depressed and insecure teenagers to show them specific adds. The news outlet had the chance to see one of Facebook’s documents marked as “Confidential: Internal Only” and dated 2017. The social network registers “moments when young people need a confidence boost;” their algorithms then target them and their information is given to advertisers.
Even if this document only involves young people from Australia and New Zealand, it is very likely that Facebook does the same in other countries. The company’s CEOs know that most of the network’s users are young people who are more than willing to spill their entire lives online. They use it as an outlet and the company takes advantage of that.
Also, all the images you upload and share are carefully analyzed. If you seem to be dissatisfied with your weight or appearance, Facebook will let the advertiser know that you “need” certain products, and they’ll show you appealing adds. The website’s main target is 14-year-old teenagers, which renders the ethics of the company questionable. Isn’t spying on young teenas illegal? They’re more prone to fall victims to the network as they try to find their sense of belonging and receive attention.
As time passes, the greed for money grows more and more. People lose their freedom because they’re swept away by digital trends. However, I don’t think this social network is to blame for everything. People’s carelessness is also to blame. Each day, countless profiles parade through Facebook, showing people who want to be noticed for their looks, what they buy, which events they go, or which places they visit.
The urge to live a different life and prove things about which nobody really cares is tempting. Facebook has turned into a new Big Brother thanks to us. And more than that, we are no longer just consumers but products that can be peddled.
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There are many reasons to give Facebook a break:
6 Things You Would Have Time For If You Put Facebook To One Side
If you can’t live without social networks, you can also consider these options:
8 Networks You Should Give A Try If You Value Your Privacy
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Sources:
The Australian
MIT Tech Review
Ars Technica
Translated by Andrea Valle Gracia
