Frontline is doing a two-part documentary about Facebook. It's all stuff that's already been in the news, but the show summarizes it all very nicely. They've just put Part One on YouTube:

 
Just about everyone in my orbit is addicted to it. My own band posts gigs on FB, which is how I find out when and where I'm playing next. Of course, I have to ask my daughter, because I have no Facebook account myself.
 
There has been a lot of discussion lately about whether or not AI is dangerous. I think we've seen the repercussions of AI's dark side already, in the form of Facebook's news feed. Whenever you like something, it feeds you more of the same. They call it a "filter bubble". Pretty soon you get the feeling that Position A is the way everybody feels about it, and Position B is championed only by idiots.

My wife and I have never had Facebook accounts, and never will. I don't want anyone all up in my bidness.... Some people get pretty stupid about what they post on there. I can totally see it if people are promoting their band. Otherwise, it just seems like a portal to someone's personal information.

I'm not convinced social media is actually good for humans and, particularly, diversity of thought.  I deleted my Facebook account years ago.  It was weird at first, felt like I was missing out, I think I was starting to get that addiction, but now I don't miss it one bit and feel 100% mentally healthier and stronger for it.  

It is what it is. I don't post much, but I get a lot of info from pages that I've 'liked' - bands, artists, movies. Stuff that I would have to search for otherwise. Messenger is cool for keeping in touch with people overseas. I try and keep it simple, don't have that many 'friends' on there, and a lot of those got 'unfollowed' pretty quickly 

I have a Facebook account strictly for promoting my music, and another one strictly for my family.  Everything else is an exercise in tin foil and sheep herding.

Never had a Facebook page and never felt deprived in the least for that state of affairs.  This forum gives me enough of an online community daily fix - any more and I'd be wasting too much valuable time that would be more profitably spent doing constructive things.  I must say, however, that I'm feeling a bit smug these days about having ignored the FB phenomena from the start.

dmbaer
Never had a Facebook page and never felt deprived in the least for that state of affairs.  This forum gives me enough of an online community daily fix - any more and I'd be wasting too much valuable time that would be more profitably spent doing constructive things.  I must say, however, that I'm feeling a bit smug these days about having ignored the FB phenomena from the start.

 
What he said.

Tried it for about two weeks. Couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about and quit. Actually, I can't figure out what the fuss is about being online period. I walk at the mall in the mornings and see people even my age constantly staring at their dope-phones, all part of the zombie apocalypse. A little bit of online time goes a long way with me.

I caught that Frontline show on Facebook last night ...Sure hope I see the second installment tonight ..
 
I am not a fan of anything that has too do with Facebook on any level shape or form .
The day I signed up years ago F B  went through all my e mail contacts before I knew what hit me ...
Then it took months to delete my FB acct ...for all I know it is still floating out there w out my consent .
 
I find it incredulous that in every area of my life I am accountable for every action I take and not having all the facts in my possession does not constitute a valid defense for my position on the subject or my resulting actions based on the information I had on hand when my said actions took place ..
 
Example , If I don't see the posted Speed Limit sign it will not matter to the cop that is writing me a ticket for speeding ...
Since that is the case for an individual then ,
How is it effing possible that a multi Billion dollar corporation comprised of self serving A Hole Wanna Be Hipsters  Movers and Social Shakers can even try to claim they were pure and idealistic in the creation of this monstrosity called Face Book ?
$hit flows from the top down right ? Why do they get a pass when it comes to following the law and peoples rights to have all the facts disclosed ?
How is it that they can be claiming they never saw or considered the posted signs ...and then have the stones as a company to talk their way out of a far worse situation ...and get away with it ...
 
In The End is it really all about the bucks that matter ? 
 
The very fact that people in the know are trying to pretend and conceal the plain and simple facts of what really was going on with F B is comparable to a 50 dollar a fling hooker working fleet week .When she is done w all the sailors she goes home takes a shower , brushes her teeth and then she puts on a white wedding dress while she heads off to her Chapel Wedding on a fine Sunday morning claiming to still be a virgin to her gullible husband too be .
 
No Diff In MY Book
 
There is a thing in life called Half Truths and The Real Truth ...it goes something like this ...
If I was too tell you Orange Juice is good for you ..you may agree ..many people would agree to that statement .
I offer you a glass of Orange Juice but I don't tell you that I spiked the drink with an odorless tasteless poison and that it may kill you if you drink the juice ...
As I offer you the drink you take it thinking Orange Juice is good for you ...
(like most people you will probably drink it )
 
Now what Have I Done Here ? 
The short and simple explanation is I offered up a half truth as a motivating factor in getting you to trust me and earn my approval ..
When One sells a Half Truth they must leave out the other Half ...which happens to be very important ..if not the most important thing to consider ..
THE TRUTH
Telling you Orange Juice is good for you is pretty much a truth for many people except a rare few people in life ... 
The very fact that I concealed the actions of my spiking your drink with poison indicates on a broad spectrum that I am not concerned with you health wealth or well being
I am only concerned with what is in it for me and how I will benefit...
This train of thought is prevalent all across the spectrum of human & corporate society  ...
 
This deception  has also been proven historically regarding races of people , nations and whole eras of human history through out the passage of time  ..
Don't believe me ? Go ask and American Indian about The American Western Culture & History and see if his or her History Jives with the historical half truths our schools have been selling our History student's for decades ?
If that does not convince you  look at what happened in Europe , WW2 and ( sorry folks ) Germany 
 
My point is when the truth is transparent and plain for every one to see , most people would actually be appalled at
what lengths manipulative people and groups of people bound by collective desires and greed will go to get their wants ...
If I said to you here's a glass of Orange Juice BTW I spiked it with an odorless tasteless poison ..
Here you go "Drink Up my Friend " chances are you would decline the drink and then question our friendship and my motives ...RIGHT ?
 
Well there you have it ...it has always been somewhat of a half truth when it comes to F B ...
As I step down from my high horse podium my lingering thought is Humans as a whole are very fallible ...
It is entirely possible for someone to set out to do something for all the right reasons and in the end due to unforeseen events that may materialize they may have their honest motives thwarted and become responsible for adding much more Drama And Chaos to the world  ....
 
Kenny

I have nothing to say about FaceBook, never had it and never intend to. As for AI, I am convinced that Netflix has pioneered a new concept: Artificial Stupidity. Their algorithm keeps deciding that I will love sports documentaries, anime, and films for ages under twelve, even though I have had an account with them for years, have answered their surveys indicating there is no one under sixty five watching Netflix in my home,  and have only ever rated those types of offerings as one star (hated it). If this level of sophistication were applied to operating the air defense system, I shudder to think what kind of naked cyborgs would pop out of nowhere  in an alley. As for the accuracy of any marketing profile they may be selling, well that might explain a lot about the kind of junk mail that I get.