General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAt what point do Dems of good conscience boycott Facebook
I'm not a Facebook user, and although at first it was simply out of being stubborn, now I'm happy I never got involved. I know many of the benefits people attribute to using it, but given all the stuff that has come out about Zuckerberg's failure to responsibly manage his platform, do Dems ever seriously consider boycotting it? No flames please, I just wonder what it will take to hurt him.
NNadir
(33,525 posts)I never started using it, and boy, am I happy about that!
mikewv
(127 posts)ProfessorGAC
(65,067 posts)We don't have a FB account, but it's so ubiquitous that many, no matter there political POV, are emotionally invested or dependent on it.
Boycotting is likely a non-starter.
ChazII
(6,205 posts)My son and I both have NF1. Facebook is where we found world wide support and more importantly contacts here in the United States. My son was diagnosed 3/18/19 with a GBM brain tumor that also took the life of VP Biden and senators Kennedy and McCain. It was Facebook that provided groups to be with us for medical and emotional support. My son passed 3/6/20 and I am now with the support group of those who lost a child to GBM.
Nothing at DU could be said to persuade me to give up my contacts with these groups. A few of us even had our loved ones having surgery at the same time frame here at Barrow Neurological Center in Phoenix. There is that personal one-on-one as we would be there for each other in the waiting room, makes visits and check up on one another after our loved one left ICU for the neuro-floor.
And finally, one member who I met while her husband and my son were going through radiation treatments are starting a grief counseling class. We are participating not teaching. If it had not been for Facebook we would not have met.
Mike Nelson
(9,959 posts)... I will continue to promote Biden/Harris and progressive ideals on Facebook. I hear it's "leftist" all the time. Good for me!
Buckeyeblue
(5,499 posts)NameAlreadyTaken
(978 posts)I subscribe to a few of them, so it balances out the feed.
Sympthsical
(9,074 posts)There are all kinds of hatred, lies, and toxicity on Twitter. I don't see much call for that boycott. Heck, somedays it feels like half the posts I read here are simply copies and pastes of what some random Twitter person said.
Why not Instagram?
Why not Reddit?
Why not YouTube?
It's fashionable to go after Facebook, so that's what we hear about. The other social media are just as bad. When is everyone going to give those up?
I use Facebook sparingly as a friends and family keep in contact sort of affair. I never see anything right-wing on it. I rarely see political ads, and when I do they're for Biden. Similar with YouTube. All the ads I've gotten lately have been from Democratic politicians asking for donations to Biden. (Ironically, the most Trump advertising I see online is from DU when I'm browsing it on my phone).
Social media are simply here to stay. You can curate your own experience in most of these places. The calls for, "Only allow points of view I agree with," forever bother me. That's some authoritarian shit that I don't countenance. It's less about, "We're all about the Truth and stuff," and more about curating other people's experiences for them.
I'm going to nope on out of that impulse. Not as long as we still have a free society.
albacore
(2,399 posts)That way, FB and the others could be rightiwingnuts and Russian bots all the time.
I prefer to stay and fight.
Amishman
(5,557 posts)Its amazing how much free time you will have if you just walk away from the cesspit of social media.
It eats so much of our day to day lives, causes so much aggravation, and provides so little enrichment in return.
My wife does the social media for the both of us, and even she has dialed it back to only checking a few times a week.
Just walk away!
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)Including DU.
"Just walk away!"
Amishman
(5,557 posts)And also lack the retweet / share functions that make twitter and Facebook such a hotbed of misinformation. Those features allow bad information to outrun it's rebuttals.
Message boards are also typically focused and well moderated.
Yes, they technically are social media in the technical sense, but lack the flaws of the platforms that first come to mind when you hear the term.
woodsprite
(11,916 posts)And I dont plan on being tech support for 20 or so people between the ages of 68 and 87yo spread across the country with various operating systems, devices, etc.
Facebook and Giftster are our lifelines.
romana
(765 posts)Best decision I ever made.
Blecht
(3,803 posts)There is nothing that justifies supporting Zuckerberg. Having a Facebook account is putting money in Zuckerberg's pocket.
Fuck Zuck!
Autumn
(45,106 posts)and I have no plans to boycott it. Facebook is what you make it. No different from here, Twitter or any other platform.
Maraya1969
(22,482 posts)with you. Plus it's how I keep in touch with some family and friends. The games I play there keep my brain sharp.
GusBob
(7,286 posts)he is offering to help the Lincoln Project with their new GOTV FB project set to launch tomorrow
You must explain how he has a bad conscience
safeinOhio
(32,688 posts)No more FB, going on 3 months and switched to DuckDuckGo too.
MANative
(4,112 posts)I must admit that there are things I miss, like sharing recipes with high school and college friends from across the country, and catching up on my cousins' kids activities, but we're finding ways to connect in other media (Zoom, MS Teams, texting). I'm not missing the vitriol.
NRaleighLiberal
(60,015 posts)virgogal
(10,178 posts)way to give unused Items to locals.
Squinch
(50,955 posts)PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,862 posts)Personally, I think regular commercial television is vastly worse. The biggest problem there is the constant advertising that exhorts you to buy buy buy. I have not had a TV for over 12 years now and my life is vastly better, and I don't feel deprived because I can't afford stuff. I can watch most of what I want via the internet.
The news shows are not necessarily good or informative. A lot of folks here on DU seem to have their TV on all the time, often to news channels, and are often unhappy at what they see.
Turning off the TV for most of the day can definitely improve your life.
edhopper
(33,586 posts)Around the world comes along. While I can also showcase my work and stay in touch with businesses.
Any ideas.
Fresh_Start
(11,330 posts)before trump I had 30 contacts mostly family
After trump i started gathering like minded friends beginning with the womens march, we support and educate each other. I spread all the great things I learn from DU on facebook. I'm almost at the FB friend limit...almost entirely from people asking to be friended. I hope I'm making a difference.
Wawannabe
(5,661 posts)In light of Tim Cook/FB story.
Gonna be kickin up a few more boycott posts too.
Time for people to REALLY EXAMINE their use of (and support for) Zuckerberg and FaceBook.
Really. Examine it! If you boycott Goya and use FB. Examine use/support of FB.
If you boycott Publix and use FB. Examine use and support of FB.
If you boycott... and use FB...
luv2fly
(2,475 posts)I don't get the defenders, and I REALLY don't get the personal attacks/snark when I post about FB, but I've got a thick skin and the really annoying ones , well... that's what ignore is for right?