When And Why Did Facebook Replaced Television?
I was chatting with my girlfriend the other evening during dinner, and, for some reason, we ended up debating Facebook. Well, not debating, but more like trying to define it. Or trying to understand why it has this powerful effect on people. We're both Facebook survivors and although we're still spending some time every once in a while there, we're over its spell. Or so we think, at least :)
Facebook is probably the biggest shift in social interaction since television. But make no mistake, they're both equally toxic. Zapping turned into scrolling, nothing really changed. For those who have no idea what zapping is, it's the activity of incessantly browsing through tv channels with your remote control. Yes, this was actually a thing last century.
But I have this theory that Facebook is significantly more toxic than television. Technology transformed it into a much more effective zombie machine. The "attack surface" that Facebook targets on our psyches is an order of magnitude higher than the one of classic TV and, on top of that, Facebook also has some unique "features".
Those "features" are interactivity, the "bubble" effect and validation. Consumed moderately, all three are actually healthy. But once you get over the recommended dose...
Interactivity Or The Illusion Of Being In Control
In classical TV the information flow is unidirectional. There is a performance and then there is a consumer of that performance. There is a show and there is a viewer. There's no interaction. In Facebook, you not only can interact with the entire show, but you're expected to. You are constantly invited to express your satisfaction or anger. And, guess what: the show changes following these actions.
What this feature gives us is the illusion of control. Because we see each other's reactions, we infer that we're in control of... something. In fact, we're not, as you are going to see in the next paragraph. On the contrary. But this illusion feeds itself and makes us use Facebook more and more, as a palliative measure against the uncontrollable randomness of life.
Bubbles And The Illusion Of Comfort
What happens when we express our emotions on Facebook? The world that Facebook presents to us changes too. Given enough time, enough people in our circle and enough actions, Facebook turns into a perfect bubble. We get more and more of what we want, more and more of what we like and the world starts to feel predictable again.
This gives us the illusion of comfort. The bubble is feeding us a false sense of safety. It makes us feel protected. And the more protected we feel, the harder it is to to understand other bubbles. Polarization soars. If you're not in my bubble, you must be against my bubble. We're slowly alienating our social circles instead of growing them. We hang out only with people who are "like us". Or who "like" us. But outside this bubble there are still people who don't like us, and that's a good thing. Diversity is a good thing. Difference is a good thing. Alas, because we're afraid to get out of our bubble, our ability to process and integrate diversity and difference is becoming weaker and weaker.
Validation And The Illusion Of Permanence
The natural consequence of the illusion of control is the illusion of permanence. We feel in control, we feel comfortable and we start to believe that things we'll always be the same. Facebook is giving us exactly what we asked for, and it gives it to us constantly, in order to create affinity. Hence, we start to believe that the whole thing we'll be like this forever.
We surround ourselves with the illusion of permanence. Again, we do this in a feeble attempt to fence the uncontrollable whirlwind of Samsara by investing our focus and time into an amorphous, inexistent mental space, which tends to take whatever form we want it to take, as long as we keep consuming it.
Facebook Is Us
To try an answer to the question boldly asked in the title, Facebook became the new, upgraded version of the mind numbing tool that television was before, the moment we invested it with this power.
It's not like Facebook is intrinsically toxic. It's our attachment to it, our own expectations and projections that are making it toxic.
image source - Pixabay
I'm a serial entrepreneur, blogger and ultrarunner. You can find me mainly on my blog at Dragos Roua where I write about productivity, business, relationships and running. Here on Steemit you may stay updated by following me @dragosroua.
https://steemit.com/~witnesses
To be fair to Facebook, i don't think it set out to do this. Mark Z. got on the wild ride to make himself rich and famous. Then the marketing guys got involved, then the shady characters moved in and starting using Facebook for a purpose besides voting on what chick is the hottest.
Personally I hate Facebook. Why? Because the usability of it breaks just about every rule in the book. As a website it sucks so badly I can't even begin to tell you what's wrong with it.
And yet, users get past all of that and are addicted to Facebook. I know people who, if you suggested they spend some time doing something else, like going outdoors, or going to another website, they look at you as if you have suggested strangling their pet kitten.
As with TV for many people Facebook has become their window to the world, their only window, and that's dangerous.
It's interesting that you describe yourself and your girlfriend as Facebook survivors, because in a way that's what you are. You've kicked the habit, almost. You're still in recovery, and there will always be that pull - trying to get you to come back.
"Just check your status, just read a post, just do a line of coke, it'll be fine."
So what is it that we hope for Steemit?
That people will replace their Facbook habit with a Steemit habit?
Perhaps. but I think the purpose and people on Steemit are inherently different, and I think we have an opportunity to create something together that is what a social network should be.
For example - the photo competitions encourage people to go out into the real word and participate in their hobby and then come back and tell us about it.
We have meetups happening all around the world. If we can have a focus on bringing the interaction online out into the real world, where people do real things and meet real people, instead of just flicking through today's memes, then Steemit will have done something incredibly positive for the planet.
I very much agree with your view on this. I'm new to Steemit and so far it feel so much more encouraging. Facebook to me is mostly people screaming for attention over some trivial things, while Steemit holds much more information and interesting facts. The photo competitions you mention have done precisely what you say, they encourage me to pick that camera up again after years of letting that part of me slide.
Interesting post @dragosroua!
Welcome to Steemit @playfulfoodie I hope you enjoy your stay here.
I'll have to check out your photos ;-)
Thank you! So far I've been enjoying it very much :-)
I totally agree with you, Trevor. Steemit is really a new chance. The most important part of it it's the fact that is de-centralized. We are all in charge of it, to some extent.
Too many of anything is always bad.... I don;t like much facebook except that it allows me to stay in touch with people I would have lost otherwise. That its only advantage IMO.