On the issue of Facebook and the erosion of trust as a social media platform

The damning report on Facebook by the New York Times, was a fascinating read. I have suspected for a quite a while that Facebook is on a decline. Personally, I have seen an increase in content being shared that are just nonsensical and downright false. I used to enjoy sharing stuff on Facebook. What I did, what I wore, what I ate, who I am hanging out with. Then after a few years, all those viral videos started proliferating on my news feeds. I remembered there were so many click bait videos, click bait links to articles that really just wasted everybody’s time reading it. There were nothing substantial to all those links. It led you nowhere, just more content and links to more nonsense stuff. And ads, loads of pop up ads the moment you click those links. All those content, just makes you dumb. Where are the smart and thought provoking articles? Where are meaningful conversations and debates on important issues happening around the world. All the comments on Facebook are troll bait comments.

Now, so many fake news, fake videos. They might look harmless at first, entertaining even, but now I am beginning to worry the repercussions of sharing such content on Facebook.

Today, I don’t even share stuff online, except news article from respectable sources. I no longer rant about my life, my day. I don’t even share the good things that have happened to me on Facebook. I have become a silent observer. Just mindless scrolling down on my Facebook feed full of mindless content. My Facebook feed no longer carries out meaningful conversations with anyone any longer.

It’s quite sad that Facebook has reach such a state. Maybe I am growing old and I don’t see the need to share things about my life anymore. Maybe, as I grow older, I no longer feel that dopamine rush of good feelings when my friends liked my posts. That instant gratification feeling you get can no longer be found on Facebook. Probably the reason is that what ever personal things you shared on Facebook, just get lost in the sea of useless and mindless content, Internet’s detritus.