Former Facebook Exec Says Social Media is Destroying Society

**Yazata** · Dec 12, 2017 06:05 PM

He told an audience at Stanford Business School that

"I think we have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works... The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops we've created are destroying how society works" referring to online interactions driven by "hearts, likes, thumbs-up." "No civil discourse, no cooperation; misinformation, mistruth. And it's not an American problem --- this is not about Russians ads. This is a global problem."

https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/11/1676...rt-society

**Syne** · Dec 12, 2017 08:16 PM

I can't say I wholly disagree. Just hoping society adapts. Every ebb eventually flows.

**C C** · (This post was last modified: Dec 12, 2017 09:36 PM by C C.)

(Dec 12, 2017 06:05 PM)Yazata Wrote: He told an audience at Stanford Business School that

"I think we have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works... The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops we've created are destroying how society works" referring to online interactions driven by "hearts, likes, thumbs-up." "No civil discourse, no cooperation; misinformation, mistruth. And it's not an American problem --- this is not about Russians ads. This is a global problem."

https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/11/1676...rt-society

. . . In a guilt culture you know you are good or bad by what your conscience feels. In a shame culture you know you are good or bad by what your community says about you, by whether it honors or excludes you. In a guilt culture people sometimes feel they do bad things; in a shame culture social exclusion makes people feel they are bad.

[...] the omnipresence of social media has created a new sort of shame culture. The world of Facebook, Instagram and the rest is a world of constant display and observation. The desire to be embraced and praised by the community is intense. People dread being exiled and condemned. Moral life is not built on the continuum of right and wrong; it’s built on the continuum of inclusion and exclusion.

[...] First, members of a group lavish one another with praise so that they themselves might be accepted and praised in turn.

Second, there are nonetheless enforcers within the group who build their personal power and reputation by policing the group and condemning those who break the group code. Social media can be vicious to those who don’t fit in. Twitter can erupt in instant ridicule for anyone who stumbles.

Third, people are extremely anxious that their group might be condemned or denigrated. They demand instant respect and recognition for their group. They feel some moral wrong has been perpetrated when their group has been disrespected, and react with the most violent intensity.

[...] video gamers viciously went after journalists, mostly women, who had criticized the misogyny of their games. Campus controversies get so hot so fast because even a minor slight to a group is perceived as a basic identity threat. The ultimate sin today [...] is to criticize a group, especially on moral grounds.

- - -

**stryder** · Dec 13, 2017 04:18 AM

Some of the most interesting people are those that don't conform. Incidentally that lead to some rather interesting sidetracks involving Non-conformists and a page on English disenters (wikipedia.org)

To put it blunt, in both cases it's a reference in universal change (A revolution) of perception and position in regards to religious affairs. It proves that the radical nature of such social sheep-dipping affluence isn't new.

**RainbowUnicorn** · Dec 13, 2017 10:25 AM

(Dec 13, 2017 04:18 AM)stryder Wrote: Some of the most interesting people are those that don't conform. Incidentally that lead to some rather interesting sidetracks involving Non-conformists and a page on English disenters (wikipedia.org)

To put it blunt, in both cases it's a reference in universal change (A revolution) of perception and position in regards to religious affairs. It proves that the radical nature of such social sheep-dipping affluence isn't new.

he must be about to try and run for political office somewhere.

**Zinjanthropos** · Dec 13, 2017 07:05 PM

Can't count how many times it's been? New generation and technology destroying society. When the nukes start falling, then maybe I'll believe it's really happening.

Caveman Ogg to wife: 'Young punks have thing called wheel'
Ogg's wife: "Going to destroy society"

And on and on it goes.

**Yazata** · Dec 13, 2017 08:22 PM

(Dec 13, 2017 07:05 PM)Zinjanthropos Wrote: Can't count how many times it's been? New generation and technology destroying society. When the nukes start falling, then maybe I'll believe it's really happening.

I remember the same kind of talk in the 1960's about how much time kids spent watching television. Given how the baby-boom generation turned out (I'm one of them) I'm not convinced that the concern was all mistaken.

But even we had face-to-face lives (such as they were). It wasn't all TV, all of the time. Today cell phones seem to be replacing face-to-face contact for a lot of kids. Their phone is their social life.

Quote:Caveman Ogg to wife: 'Young punks have thing called wheel'
Ogg's wife: "Going to destroy society"

Probably true.

**Zinjanthropos** · (This post was last modified: Dec 14, 2017 02:56 PM by Zinjanthropos.)

(Dec 13, 2017 08:22 PM)Yazata Wrote:
(Dec 13, 2017 07:05 PM)Zinjanthropos Wrote: Can't count how many times it's been? New generation and technology destroying society. When the nukes start falling, then maybe I'll believe it's really happening.

I remember the same kind of talk in the 1960's about how much time kids spent watching television. Given how the baby-boom generation turned out (I'm one of them) I'm not convinced that the concern was all mistaken.

But even we had face-to-face lives (such as they were). It wasn't all TV, all of the time. Today cell phones seem to be replacing face-to-face contact for a lot of kids. Their phone is their social life.

Quote:Caveman Ogg to wife: 'Young punks have thing called wheel'
Ogg's wife: "Going to destroy society"

Probably true.

The invention of writing must have been interesting times. All those kids with their clay tablets and chiselling tools must have drove the adults crazy. Smile

. Probably those who were driven crazy the most and convinced society was coming to an end were the elders of the drum beating generation. I wonder if the sounds of sticks hitting logs or stretched animal hides pushed some people over the edge. All day and all night, finding out what someone else ate for dinner must have had a few eyes rolling.

**stryder** · (This post was last modified: Dec 14, 2017 05:07 PM by stryder.)

(Dec 13, 2017 08:22 PM)Yazata Wrote: I remember the same kind of talk in the 1960's about how much time kids spent watching television. Given how the baby-boom generation turned out (I'm one of them) I'm not convinced that the concern was all mistaken.

But even we had face-to-face lives (such as they were). It wasn't all TV, all of the time. Today cell phones seem to be replacing face-to-face contact for a lot of kids. Their phone is their social life.

It's not just the social aspect that's effect, kids as you likely know are volatile when it comes to mood swings. A phone can be a mood trigger when it's not got cell reception, over it's data plan, the battery has run down, it's got an OS bug or it isn't the most recent (trendy) version etc. Those sort of things can lead to an unhappy kid that then get's frustrated, which then can lead to upsetting the parents, which in turn over time can lead to a greater breakdown in family bonding.

It likely have a similar effect to Latchkey Kids (wikipedia.org), although in this instance they might push their parents away (through constant arguements) and rebel (in response to the arguments) far greater than normal.

It's an argument usually made in regards to Corporate targeted consumerism of minors, with the intention of exploiting their volatility to get their parents to capitulate to spending money on products. Which incidentally ties in with the socio-psychological model for corporations being "Sociopaths".

**RainbowUnicorn** · (This post was last modified: Dec 15, 2017 01:29 PM by RainbowUnicorn.)

it pays to keep in mind several things
1 his indian descent is very self afacing when it comes to big wheels off society and being a "simple humble skeptic pragmatist" is seen as very non-partisan and socially responsible & ideal primary quality in a political leader.
2 he has made all his money off exploiting the very thing he is saying is soo bad so its like the wal st bankers sitting in their ivory towers telling all the homeless familys how terrible wall st is.
3 there is quite a trend of social cool-ness among certain levels of social class to be anti new-age and anti-modernisation as a semi alt-right leaning conservative that panders to liberals and extremists equally.

is he saying anything new ?
is he offering up any sage advice on something showing his profesional skill to give away information that is usefull to ordinary working class ?

doesnt look like it

looks like he is being a narcissist playing the sociopath game.

i hope im wrong

is he starting any charitys ?

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