Facebook was shut down for six hours in October. The site and all other sites owned by users, including Instagram, were unavailable to anyone in the world. We were able to glimpse into a new world where Facebook doesn't exist for a brief moment.
It worked out fine, surprise! It had its negative side effects, such as excluding creators and small-business owners from their work. But overall it was okay.
More people are contemplating logging off than ever, possibly for the better. This includes my entire family, but only because I need to continue working and maintaining my Shrek fan theories page. Reddit users attribute the mass departures to the platform's less fun aspect and its impact on democracy. According to Facebook, the site is used by more than 3 billion people per month and 2.6 billion users each day. This means that there are approximately 400 million people with accounts who don't log in every day. Their accounts are not kept because Facebook is fun but because it has become an integral part of their lives online. Because it is so deeply embedded in our digital DNA, deleting an account may not always be an option.
Tahmina Osmanzai, 26, told Mashable that she doesn't enjoy the platform. She keeps her account only to see the dog photos my boyfriend tags me in, and to check on any birthdays she might have forgotten. Others aren't interested in cutting community ties. A Pew Research Center 2015 study found that 28% of U.S. parents have grown children who use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate with them.
However, the Facebook priority of profit over health has been pulsing throughout the country over the last few weeks. Users and politicians feel that there must be a way to stop the misuse of power by the platform. The Wall Street Journal published a series called "The Facebook Files" in September. They were based heavily on leaked documents from Frances Haugen, a whistleblower. One of the many revelations was that Facebook refused to share internal studies that showed the social network is detrimental to young people's health. According to NPR, Haugen testified before the Senate on the day that Facebook shut down the platform for six hours. This was after an update to Facebook routers that coordinate network traffic went wrong. More documents have been released since then, the Facebook Papers. These documents show that Facebook continues to disregard the safety of its users.
In a vain attempt to create a "new company brand" that would encompass all it does, Facebook rebranded itself as Meta in October. However, activists aren't encouraged by a new name.
Jessica Quiason, the Action Center on Race and the Economy's deputy research director, stated in a statement that "for too long, Black, Brown, and Muslim communities have been targeted and penalized because of lies spread on Facebook platforms." "Only together can we stand up to Facebook, and show them that our community is worth more than their profits.
The Action Center on Race and the Economy forms part of a group of over 40 state- and national-based organizations including NARAL Pro-Choice America, the Women's March, United We Dream and MoveOn. They are asking users to log out of Facebook and Instagram between November 10 and 13 in support of the extensive policy changes at Facebook to ensure their safety. This three-day strike is intended to show Facebook how important it is to its users and to encourage them towards better treatment.
Juanita Monsalve is the senior marketing and creative manager at United We Dream. She stated in a statement, that social media platforms such as Facebook have for too long "prioritized profits over the safety and security of its users, particularly Black, Brown, and immigrant communities." Monsalve said that while Facebook has caused harm, UWD's Facebook page remains an important part in communicating with their members.
Monsalve stated, "We all know the importance of connecting online. That is why United We Dream Logging Out is being implemented." "We are collectively taking action and using our people power, demanding safer and better online spaces. These groups encourage users to log out to demand that Facebook improve content moderation, algorithm transparency and accountability.
It is hard to imagine Facebook being deleted. However, it can be used to log on to other apps such as Tinder or Spotify, and to remember birthdays. You can still put your friend's birthdays in a calendar and create unique logins for other apps. This will allow you to reconnect with old friends. It's possible to imagine a world without Facebook. We saw the fall of MySpace, so why shouldn't Facebook? It would allow for another platform to emerge, and hopefully not repeat all of Facebook's mistakes.
Research shows that the main reason people leave Facebook or other social media sites is due to social movements like #DeleteFacebook. This makes quitting social networking a popular trend or avoiding the negative effects social media can have on your mental health.
Although it seems unlikely that Billions of users will leave Facebook, three days of being off the platform is reasonable. Facebook is losing young teens already. All of this negative publicity could encourage users turn to other platforms or apps like MeWe, which prioritize privacy.
