mark zuckerberg (1)

Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook corporation is currently under investigations and growing criticism, for breaking anti-trust violations, but the situation is far worse than that. I highly recommend the 3 part interview (or even part 1) https://www.democracynow.org/2019/10/23/roger_mcnamee_facebook_russia_cambridge_analytica 

The part 1 interview above is with Mr. Mcnamee, author of the new book "Zucked" and how Facebook is completely screwing the world and destroying the fabric of democracy. Most important in this interview by a very credible critic (Roger McNamee) is basically another kind of insider whistleblower story of sorts. Worth listening to. And, particularly because McNamee talks about how Facebook (like most social media platform giants today) are making business and algorithm systems that "prey" upon the most vulnerable in a population and primarily make most of their advertising dollars and viewer numbers based on (mis-)information, hate-speech and conspiracy theories-- that is, according to McNamee's words, Facebook preys off of the information that produces and reproduces "fight flight behaviors" that become "addictive" to many, especially those who carry smart phones around nearly all the time and everywhere they go. 

The danger of ongoing exacerbation of "polarization" of the toxic kind, not just healthy conflict in societies--there is no doubt social digital media ways of doing business are hurting us and undermining our ability to manage conflict and fear in good ways. See also a review of McNamee's book 

https://tech.co/news/zucked-facebook-catastrophe-review-mcnamee-2019-03
 
I have simply said this is the nightmare of our digital times when people are 'hooked up' to fear-producing systems that are making tonness of money off of people's fear and their ways of coping with fear. It is an ethical issue. People en mass are being educated into this fear-based world, and from the interview above (it validated my views many years ago not to join such social media like Facebook) I am sure this is one of the greatest problems facing the future of civil society and basic sanity. Lots to talk about.... lots for the fearologist to offer as alternatives and as corrective interventions. Whether anyone will listen to me or others concerned about fearmongering for profits, well, that's another story. 
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