16 votes

Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teen girls, company documents show

4 comments

  1. [2]
    Moonchild
    Link
    A response from instagram. It is worth mentioning, but it does not say very much. ...but do not elaborate on it. Indeed, but this ignores the extent to which a media platform can encourage good...

    A response from instagram. It is worth mentioning, but it does not say very much.

    While the story focuses on a limited set of findings and casts them in a negative light, we stand by this research

    ...but do not elaborate on it.

    Social media isn’t inherently good or bad for people. Many find it helpful one day, and problematic the next. What seems to matter most is how people use social media, and their state of mind when they use it.

    Indeed, but this ignores the extent to which a media platform can encourage good (or bad) sorts of interactions.

    They frame themselves as a neutral purveyor of content, which is driven entirely by users, but this is not true. As a platform, they have the ability to promote or suppress certain kinds of content categorically. As a purveyor of ads, they are motivated to show content and induce behaviour patterns in their users that maximize engagement with those ads.

    The last section is headed ‘What we’re doing’, but it is excruciatingly vague, minimizes their own responsibility, and does not talk about the inherent conflict of interest.

    13 votes
    1. vord
      Link Parent
      I was just having an arguement with a friend about the right-wing nature of /r/PoliticalCompassMemes. The crux of his defense was "It's equal-opportunity joking about the stereotypes of each...

      They frame themselves as a neutral purveyor of content

      I was just having an arguement with a friend about the right-wing nature of /r/PoliticalCompassMemes. The crux of his defense was "It's equal-opportunity joking about the stereotypes of each group."

      There's another organization whose slogan is "Fair and Balanced." Fox News, or as I like to think of it, the biggest purveor of right-wing propaganda in the world.

      7 votes