Should we shut down Facebook,what a big question ?
Facebook is the world largest social media and the app is used by over 204 million users in USA while India is the world largest user of Facebook with over 294 million users according to data from (c)statista 2018. It shows a global active user from 1 billion in 2012 to 2.23 billion active users in second quarter of 2018. While the number of active users has continue to decline in north america,the opposite is the case in other parts of the world.
Matt Rosoff’s article; should we shut down Facebook entirely due to privacy concern makes an interesting reading,especially when you take into account the global damage the platform has created in the world politics,domestic affairs,social and inter governmental cooperation. The west has been hugely affected where information dissemination has no restrictions unlike other parts of the world where information is guarded,and in some nations it comes with severe punishment.
The Pew survey carried out in the united states gives a graphic detail about the decline in the use of Facebook app in north america. There is no doubt the average age of 18-30 are the ones that spend 1/3 of their daily active hours on social medial,when such a cluster of people account for about 44% abstinence from the platform especially in north america, it calls for concern.
The good news though is the huge number that decided to adjust their security settings on the app to reduce hacking in their personal data.
The debate on the desirability of social platform especially Facebook will continue to generate interesting readings.We have witnessed a tremendous leap in global information dissemination in the last 15 years,the world has become a global village no thanks to all the social network platforms.The world has gained a lot and has equally lost a lot
In the recent report on PCWorld,Facebook has been cited in one out of every five divorce petitions,Divorce- online.Married men and women engaged in flirting,sexual chat and other inappropriate behaviors on social medial despite being married.Cambridge Analytical,a British data mining,data brokerage and data analysis firm has been indicted in several law cases of hacking and obtaining personal information without a permit,and only recently Facebook was confronted in its role in the United States 2010 presidential election where the FBI report that Russian operatives were using the platform to spread false news and information to influence the election result.
On the other side of the argument, Facebook has brought tremendous changes to our social life,it has connected various people who have never met before and in some cases ended up living as husband and wife.The platform has brought huge cultural integration in the globe and the social revolution is unimaginable.It has become a platform to market issues,enterprise,government policies,social and cultural issues and the cheapest platform for advertisement with huge readership.
Some of my high school classmates i have not seen in almost forty years we meet on Facebook group chat we created and share ideas.
In schools, we use the platform for learning when we use other Facebook apps like,Instagram,WhatsApp,and Messenger.
My info graphic visual shows lots of live activities like marriages,entertainment,social networking,leisure and several other platforms that social networking brought with just a tap of a Burton rather than the analogue ways we do things in the past.We are all affected one way or the other.
We all have a story about Facebook either good or bad ,but should we overlook the good and crucify the platform ?My own answer is NO, we must collectively ask for more privacy settings on the app.
Personal Reflection;
I am a strong believer in social networking and appreciate the fact that we are in the digital age.Facebook is a revolution in social networking and ever since the platform was introduced sometimes in 2005,the media has witnessed tremendous shift in global interest and usage as both the old and the young has become active users of the app.like in any good innovation,nothing comes without the ugly side and so is the case with Facebook app. Efforts should be more on a Robust private setting that we protect our information exchange and make it absolutely private.
