Facebook as a social media platform has been servicing the general public since around 2006. It got into the game early, rose to prominence, and continues to dominate its field. When I previously wrote about Facebook some eleven years ago[i], the platform had 900 million users. Today it has more than 2.7 billion active monthly users – nearly a third of the earth’s population (and growing)! For the owners and managers of Facebook, that’s an almost unprecedented level of influence on humanity and one of the reasons I’m wondering if it’s time to say goodbye to Facebook. The following concerns have given me pause and perhaps they’ll give you pause too.  

 

From friend to customer

            I use the word “influence” deliberately because the very platform of Facebook itself is not neutral. No platform or media outlet or even any person can ever truly be neutral. We all have a way of looking at the world and our ethics and business practices naturally flow out of that. Facebook is a business, and its primary founder, owner, and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is out to make money. That’s one driving force behind the way the app works. Zuckerberg also has his beliefs and political views; these also shape the way Facebook operates. 

On the business side of things, the algorithms have changed to favour paid advertising over the organic reach of ordinary (non-paying) users like most of us who joined Facebook for the social connection. Algorithms are the complicated formulas at work behind the scenes, dictating which posts or ads will show up in your personal news feed. In the early years of Facebook, these algorithms gave a lot more allowance for the posts of your personal friends and contacts to appear. Being on Facebook then felt more like socializing among a broad range of your friend group, a group you controlled (in terms of access) and were comfortable with. 

This made it fun to share or comment on pictures, funny stories, an event, a joke, or the like. Conversely, expressions of grief, support, and encouragement could be readily offered. The more you shared, or others shared with you, the more the algorithms noticed you and made your posts more likely to appear to others in your wider friend group. Your social activity would attract interest from friends of friends and your circle of contacts would grow naturally. This is part of what is called “organic growth.” Your network of contacts expanded according to how you used Facebook. 

Over time, however, the algorithms were adjusted (and they continue to be tweaked) to cater to businesses and advertisers.[ii] Soon people began to notice a decrease of postings in their feeds related to their friends. It seemed like a restriction had been imposed on the reach of friends into each other’s network. Your social circle became smaller. In its place, you began seeing many more ads and an increasing number of articles and news items which someone had paid to advertise in your newsfeed. A change was underway: Facebook social users steadily became customers of a variety of merchants. It’s not that being a customer is bad, or that advertisement is inherently evil. But I personally don’t like being manipulated by algorithms on a platform that drew me in for the social experience. It feels like a bait and switch to me and that’s a turn off. 

 

Privacy invasion 

            Facebook is free for anyone to sign up, but, as mentioned, Facebook is a business. So how can Zuckerberg make money off users who don’t pay anything for his service? By taking something of value from users that he can sell to others. That something is our personal information and data. This is a growing concern with other Big Tech players like Google, YouTube, and Twitter too. We can use their handy and (in many respects) helpful services but in turn they receive basic information about us (our personal info we sign up with) and, even more importantly, they receive data about our habits, interests, and patterns of usage on their platforms. Facebook (and the others) turn around and use that data to attract paying advertisers of products (which the algorithms suggest would interest you personally) who view you and me as customers. We become targeted by merchants. Ever notice how after reading an article on a certain topic or searching for a certain subject that the next day you begin seeing ads pop up that are related? Or paid news or blog items of a similar nature appear in your newsfeed? In 2010 this practice was in its infancy and barely noticeable, but now the tracking of our personal data has become so sophisticated and so accurate it’s uncanny how they “know what we’re thinking.” And creepy. Some might like this feature because it gives you lots of what you want, but I don’t like the feeling of being stalked. I’ve stopped Tweeting, I now use Duck-Duck-Go instead of Google, and Facebook might soon be in my rear-view mirror.      

 

Throw­-away content

            As Facebook has shifted from primarily a place to share fun things among friends, more and more content has crept into our newsfeeds in the form of blog posts, news items, full length articles, and all kinds of “click bait” items. Videos are also populating the platform like never before. Businesses of all kinds are vying for our attention. The volume of information is immense. No one could ever read (or watch) all of it and it’s a never-ending stream. It reminds me of the old cable or satellite TV where you could watch hundreds of channels. There was (still is!) something to watch every minute of the day, 24-7, but what is the quality of the content? What good does it do us? No one could possibly watch even a fraction of all that video, so what is the value of it all? Very little, in my estimation. 

            There is so much to watch but so little to see. There is so much to read but so little worth retaining. Let’s be honest. While certainly you can wade through the sea of content to find the odd informative article or truly educational video, isn’t the vast majority of it simply forgettable? Throw-away? And how much time do we waste looking for the occasional pearl? It’s long been established that Facebook is addictive (and designed to be!) and so it’s a simple matter to thoughtlessly scroll for long stretches at a time (where did that hour go? that evening?), multiple times a day, and what have you got to show for it in the end? How much useful knowledge is gained? Does Facebook make us wise? Are we helped as Christians to grow in our faith? Precious little if any of that actually happens. Mostly it’s the other way around, isn’t it? Facebook steals our time, our mental energy, and our focus. I think we should steal them back.       

 

Censorship

            Another annoying and concerning trend at Facebook (and the other Big Tech companies) is censorship of content. It comes down to this: if Facebook doesn’t like what you post, it will get publicly flagged and ultimately taken down. In fact, you don’t even own your own profile or page, Zuckerberg does. And he is legally allowed to take it/them down anytime he wants. More than a few have had their pages “disappeared” with barely an explanation. If you violate the “values” of Facebook (whatever those are), you risk getting booted off. Twitter famously did this recently with President Donald Trump, and if the President of the United States can be deactivated, you know it can happen to you too. 

            Here is where being a Christian and posting biblically-based content can run us into trouble. Apparently, Facebook values do not align very well with the teaching of the Bible. Christian pastor and writer Paul Washer had a sermon taken down from his account because it was deemed “hate literature.”[iii] The Christian satirical website the Babylon Bee had its account suspended a couple of times because Facebook thought their joke was serious.[iv] The values of Facebook align with the progressive left which means that anything that offers criticism or even perceived criticism of homosexuality, transgenderism, feminism, Black Lives Matter, radical Islam, and the like is subject to censorship and likely to get the boot.[v] As Facebook (and other) social media platforms seek to shut down contrary voices (and Christians are among them), I feel increasingly like an unwanted stranger. I ask myself: why wait till Facebook’s inhospitable environment becomes outright hateful and oppressive?  

 

Makes me judgmental

            So far I’ve mentioned serious concerns with the platform itself, but there are also problems on my side as a user that make me think of quitting. I’ve noticed myself becoming judgy. Maybe you can relate. What I mean is, there are people I know or have an acquaintance with whom I like and think well of. But then they post a picture (or a bunch of pics) or recommend an article that makes me question how I feel about them. Or I notice a trend in their posts that I interpret as self-centred or egotistical. They’re all about themselves, I catch myself thinking. The article they post raises questions about their politics or their theology. Suddenly I find that my opinion of them has soured.

Without full context, without a discussion on why they posted that piece or what they think about the topic, I find myself inwardly critiquing them and thinking ill of them. In short, I become judgmental. This is judging a person rashly and unheard, and it’s wrong in God’s eyes. It also only serves to break down my relationship with those neighbours. It soon bothers me that I have formed unfair negative opinions of people based on such incomplete information, and this is another powerful motivator to get off Facebook. Friendships and acquaintances are far and away best to form and enjoy and develop in-person.   

            

Divisive arguments

            One thing I’ve learned the hard way over the years is not to engage in debates on Facebook (or on any social media). Arguments can start very quickly with a provocative comment or the posting of an opinionated or pointed article. Whether or not it’s intended, people can quickly become offended and soon fire back with offensive remarks. I am currently part of several discussion groups (all of them Christian, some within our Canadian Reformed community) and, as long as the comments or questions raised are informational or without a hidden agenda (which is never really hidden, is it?), people can usefully answer queries, share helpful facts or tips, and generally be of benefit. But, when someone wants to start a discussion or debate (even with the best of intentions, namely, to broaden the discussion and learn), it isn’t long before uncharitable assumptions are supposed and harsh comments follow, which often include name-calling and insults. In some Facebook groups it seems that these chippy arguments are the norm. As Christians, are we honouring our heavenly Father by the manner in which we interact on Facebook? 

            I also wonder: has anyone actually changed their mind on a topic by means of a Facebook debate? Has greater understanding developed and a consensus appeared among participants? Do people on opposite sides of the issue grow closer to each other, gain a respect for one another, and show true Christian harmony and love? From all that I observe, the results trend in the opposite direction: people get upset, they entrench in their own views, their opinion of others who hold different views is lowered, and, in the end, there is greater division. Surely this too does not please the Lord who gave his life for his church which he earnestly desires to be united as one body (John 17:20-23)! This aspect of Facebook is, frankly, an embarrassment for us Christians and for me another good reason to leave Facebook behind. 

Don’t get me wrong: discussions and debates are absolutely important, but let’s have them in person, face-to-face, where we can look each other in the eye, read body language, and hear tone of voice. Let’s do it accompanied by prayer and with every intent to stay unified. Then, in the grace of the Holy Spirit, we will be much better positioned to understand one another, see the bigger picture, and maintain unity and love even when we disagree. 

Will I leave Facebook? I’m still undecided. Is there a case to be made to stay involved? Maybe. Perhaps one of our readers will write a compelling letter to the editor convincing me. Meanwhile, I’m edging toward the exit. How about you?