Here’s the thing.
I’ve been an active Facebook user for a very long time. And I have loved being on Facebook for the most part. My “Facebook family” has supported me in my grief, in my joy, in my curiosity and pursuit of all kinds of different questions—big and small.
It’s been a great ride. But it’s time to consciously uncouple, as Gwyneth Paltrow once so famously said, and this week’s podcast episode is dedicated to exploring this issue. Listen here.
But in case you don’t have time to listen, “let me esssplain. No. There is too much. Let me sum up.” (Princess Bride reference).
I’m leaving Facebook because I don’t feel confident that the folks at Facebook know how to protect us (the user community) from false and dangerous propaganda.
As of right now, a politician can run ads making patently false claims, and Facebook will do nothing to stop it.
And as if that’s not bad enough, their editorial is sketchy too. When outlets like Breitbart News (which is known for spreading misinformation) is offered up in the “personalized news” feed as a legit source for someone with a certain political leaning, you know you’ve got a problem. (To be fair, Facebook puts more reputable outlets at the top of the feed and relegates Breitbart to lower in the feed … but honestly … is the average bear able to make that distinction? This bear probably wouldn’t).
Democracies die when propaganda is allowed to flourish.
History has shown this to us repeatedly. And yet here we are.
And the propaganda problem isn’t the only problem Facebook poses. The Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed how easy it was (maybe still is?) for a company to trick Facebook users into giving away sensitive psychographic data by downloading one of those innocent looking apps that shows which celebrity you look like, or how you’ll look in 40 years. C.A. then used the data it collected from the app to manipulate people during the last presidential campaign.
But seeing Mark Zuckerberg stumble through fairly straightforward questions during his testimony this week in DC made me realize something:
Either the Facebook platform has become too massive and impossible to regulate …
OR
the Facebook platform has become too profitable and too successful to regulate.
In other words, when you’re making this much money, who cares about democracy or consumer protection or privacy?
Either way you slice it, it doesn’t feel like a platform I can participate in without feeling like I’m getting punked.
That’s not to say I won’t be back once they solve these issues.
This isn’t me throwing a tantrum and threatening to leave the party.
It’s me saying, “I’d love to rejoin your party once you stop serving moldy food that might poison me.” Or as the Sugar Hill Gang sings, “I’m just sittin’ here making myself nauseous with this ugly food that stinks.”
Jack Dorsey seems to have figured out the right way to lead through this crisis of conscience: Twitter won’t be running any kind of political advertising.
And let’s be clear, I’m NOT leaving Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. That platform doesn’t seem to have the same capacity to spread “fake news” and false advertising. But if the Instagram party starts serving up ugly food that stinks, then I’m out.
If you’re considering leaving the party (at least for now), and you’d like to read more about how or why you should consider deleting Facebook, I found these articles very useful.
- Opinion—Why It’s Time to Break Up Facebook (New York Times, May 9, 2019) This is a fascinating argument for breaking up the company (as opposed to breaking up with the company), written by one of Facebook’s co-founders, Chris Hughes.
- Exclusive: WhatsApp Cofounder Brian Acton Gives The Inside Story On #DeleteFacebook And Why He Left $850 Million Behind (Forbes, September, 2018) This was a bombshell went it was published in 2018, and it’s still a pretty shocking read.
- How to Delete Facebook (New York Times, December, 2018) This will help you think through the consequences of deleting before pulling the plug. For example, I had to consider the fact I can no longer run ads on Instagram, because it is all conducted through Facebook. I can still be on Instagram, I just can’t advertise on Instagram with a Facebook account. For me and my work, I’m ok with that. But you might still need to hang on for your own very good reasons.
You can still find me here, and on my podcast, and through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwyn/ and Instagram: @bronwynsf
Thanks for hearing me out. Shine on, you crazy diamonds.
Current Obsessions
The Momentum Generation
I came of age in Southern California, and developed mighty crushes on surfers like Kelly Slater and Rob Machado (it is difficult to imagine a more attractive fella than the Kelly Slater of the late 80s and early 90s).
Their names were hallowed in my community, and their six pack abs made them especially popular with us non-surfing ladies. But until I saw this film, I had no idea just how much of an impact these guys had on American culture itself. Nor did I realize how tight this brotherhood was. The Momentum Generation certainly delivers on our need for wipe outs and gorgeous, slow motion barrel shots. But the most breathtaking footage comes from the interviews with the legends themselves, as one man after another describes the childhood pain that drove him to such great lengths in the ocean. I won’t spoil it for you, but if you think this is just another eye-candy surf movie, think again. Find it on HBO.
Imagine that you are a failed guitar playing singer songwriter. Talented? Sure. But zero songwriting magic. Imagine also that one day you wake up, and no one in the world has ever heard of The Beatles.
Imagine googling “the Beatles” and having insects show up in your search results. What do you do? Do you write down every Beatles lyric/melody you can possibly remember and parlay that into a record deal? You bet your sweet arse you do. And what comes next is hair-raising and hilarious. Yesterday will give you 100% of all the feels, and a fresh sense of awe for songs you’ve relegated to background music.
Good Eggs
I really like to cook. I’m not good at it, but I enjoy the process. But you know what I hate with every fiber of my being? Deciding what’s for dinner and getting myself to the grocery store.
Enter meal kit services. I’ve considered joining Plated and Blue Apron and the like, but our family leans toward vegetarian most nights and I’ve found their veggie offerings kind of lame. But friends, I have found the solution (shout outs to John and Abby for the tip)—Good Eggs. Good Eggs has carnivorous offerings as well, but MAN their veggie dishes are local, organic and gorgeous. The flavors are killer, and all of the tricky sauces and bases that requires patience and manual labor arrive pre-made. All I have to do is sauté a few things and throw that sh*t together. I am smitten. Click here and I’ll get a little reward for having sent you. 🙂
