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galonk | 4 years ago

Facebook is the new tobacco industry.

discuss

order

version_five|4 years ago

I'd say more generally that the online advertising (or attention, if you like) industry has massive negative externalities that they are trying to downplay and not take responsibility for.

goodlinks|4 years ago

Imho advertising is a meme that is at odds with humanity (meme as in the original definition).

People worry about ai operating in software, this is an ai that has been running in the collective wetware of humans for some time that is significantly hindering us.

topspin|4 years ago

________ is the new tobacco industry.

If researchers can produce a result that convinces the powers that be that facebook is a mental health issue they can produce a result that gaming or violent movies or maybe something you indulge is a mental health issue.

cryptoz|4 years ago

The new tobacco industry...of decades ago. A long time ago we banned advertising smoking to children (or at least, tried to) but the beforetimes of that decision were rough. Kids commercials for smoking, toy cigarettes, etc. Facebook is actively marketing to youth today just like tobacco did decades ago, indeed.

It's a great analogy because it also works well for adults: we're free to use the product/service, we have our freedom! Even if it slowly (or quickly) kills us.

a3n|4 years ago

When I was a kid in the sixties I got chock-like candy cigarettes in my Christmas stocking, and for Halloween. I remember some were a bit powdery and you could blow on them and simulate smoke.

ryan93|4 years ago

With one one millionth as much death

cryptoz|4 years ago

Seems a bit early to call that. 10 years of social media not enough for real death results, especially when comparing to tobacco.

throwaway292893|4 years ago

You mean social media giants are the new tobacco industry, or just Facebook specifically?

mxcrossr|4 years ago

Facebook seems to really have become the whipping boy, despite their falling relevance. Imagine what these depression studies would look like if you did Reddit or 4chan. They get it no matter what they do too. Fail to stop the spread of misinformation in 2016? Come before Congress. Do too much censoring in 2020? Time to break up big tech.