Facebook: The Biggest Nation Ever
It’s difficult to imagine what the world would be like without Facebook. It has become such an integral part of our lives that it is hard to remember what life was like before it’s advent. There are 2.9 billion monthly active users, which means that if you’re reading this blog post then there’s a good chance that I’m not the only one with time on their hands!
This number is huge! It’s more people than live in the world’s two most populous nations. (India & China) Zuckerberg possibly refers to them as “citizens” of Zuckerbergland residing in his own country named after him. Originally known as “users,” he has recently started calling them “just people.” Good for the humanity.
Facebook is not only a website or platform, they are also an online directory, social network, corporation, and utility. With that said, Facebook is more than just any of these aspects. They are effectively a “government.”
Facebook has immense power and influence over the world we live in. It can help or hinder, save lives or take them away. They have access to our most sensitive data, which they sell on their open market as a commodity with no regard for its source.
In a dystopian nightmare, Facebook might be utilized to condition its users into the society it desires. In an ideal world, Facebook may serve as a self-monitoring system where we utilize our own information for our own benefit rather than for theirs, but is this what happens in reality?
I believe most of us are completely unaware of how A.I. embedded in social platforms work. Most “citizens” of Zuckerbergland are naive to the idea that they are being watched by an entity who values their data more than them. We are the “product” and our information is today’s currency.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to using Facebook or any other online platform for that matter. To the contrary, I am a big fan of all these platforms and the immense opportunity and possibility they offer. I believe that technology and information can be used for our advantage as long as we are aware of what is going on and not oblivious to it.
Recently, I have been obsessed with learning and reading about algorithms and A.I technologies that are being used in social media platforms like youtube, instagram, twitter and of course facebook. It’s amazing all the things that are being done today. I do worry about the future of all this technology though. Do you?
I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. But it’s definitely something to think about. Particularly with our children and the way we use our information on this platforms.
Could this government go to war with some unknown enemy? Could it take away some rights and freedoms without us noticing? or something worse?
We should always be aware of what we post and how much we share on these platforms. We don’t want our children to grow up in a world where they feel like everything is not as safe as it should be, because right now their life feels like that too! Don’t you agree?
Don’t forget to check out my other posts if you liked this one at all 🙂 thanks for reading me here today! I hope I got your day just a little bit better with this post.