As I wrote last week, I was stepping away for a week from the Facebook products I had been using. It was a small protest against the way Zuckerberg allows his company to ignore lies, deception, and violent posts without labeling them as such. I knew I was only one person, but I felt it needed to be done, and I knew it probably wouldn’t amount to anything for Facebook or Zuckerberg. Which it hasn’t, there have been no policy changes that I am aware of at this time.
Being away provided mixed feelings. It felt good to take a minor stand. On the other hand, I missed seeing the posts and updates on everyone’s lives. Even though my Facebook friends, many of whom are also family, live many, sometimes thousands of miles away, seeing the trials, tribulations, and celebrations of your lives makes you all feel much closer .
I’ve arrived at an internal compromise to have what I want out of Facebook products, to limit what Zuckerberg gets financially from my using his products, and one that allows me to feel like I’m still taking a stand against his actions of helping make civil society worse.
My time on Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram will be to follow and support my friends on these platforms. I can like, comment, cry, and provides words of support, as you have done for me, especially the past few months with my grandson. To me, that is what Facebook was designed to do. I will continue to make my personal, and my political, posts about my life as well, as your support from afar has helped me through some tough times, some you know about and some that you don’t. For that, I thank you from the deepest part of my heart.
What I’m not going to do is anything for which Facebook might get a kick-back, such as a click-through, an advertisement view, a game, or a survey. I’ll at least know that I’m not helping his bottom line anymore. If there is a story or a video that catches my attention, I’m pretty sure I can find it elsewhere on the Internet, I don’t have to click it in Facebook. Maybe that is something more of us users will do. If we lessen our clicks through Facebook or Instagram, maybe it will hurt a little financially for Zuckerberg. Maybe enough he will do the right thing for the common good. I can always hold out the faith he will.
Until then, it is good to see all of you again! What did I miss?
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 