Early Facebook and Google Employees Form Coalition to Fight Social Media

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rgMekanic

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In a report from the New York Times, a group of former Facebook and Google employees aren't happy with the ill effects of social networks and smartphones, and are creating a union to fight what they helped build. The coalition is called the "Center for Humane Technology" and plans on an anti-tech addiction lobbying effort and an ad campaign at 55,000 public schools. The campaign, titles "Truth About Tech" aims to educate students, parents, and teachers about the dangers of technology and the associated depression that can come from heavy social media usage.

We have been writing about the dangers of social media on young people for a while. From generational data showing the effects of social media and smartphones on children, kids attending "smartphone rehab," teens getting mental illness from extreme internet usage, and even Apple's Tim Cook saying he won't let his nephew on social media. Social media is a real problem for some people, and it seems to effect the young very negatively. I am glad this group is getting together to raise some awareness about it.

The new Center for Humane Technology includes an unprecedented alliance of former employees of some of today's biggest tech companies. Apart from Mr. Harris, former in-house ethicist at Google who is heading the new group, the center includes Sandy Parakilas, a former Facebook operations manager; Lynn Fox, a former Apple and Google communications executive; Dave Morin, a former Facebook executive; Justin Rosenstein, who created Facebook’s Like button and is a co-founder of Asana; Roger McNamee, an early investor in Facebook; and Renée DiResta, a technologist who studies bots.
 
Very much needed and not just for the young folks. It would be something to see society interacting again away from technology. I've seen some youths go through a whole show without looking at what's happening right in front of their face but instead they watch what's on their phones. That and don't get everyone started on eating out, driving, and practically everything else. There is no disconnect for some which is super unhealthy. I believe it has already has scarred humanity on a social level that's not healthy.
 
Rahh said:
Very much needed and not just for the young folks. It would be something to see society interacting again away from technology. I've seen some youths go through a whole show without looking at what's happening right in front of their face but instead they watch what's on their phones. That and don't get everyone started on eating out, driving, and practically everything else. There is no disconnect for some which is super unhealthy. I believe it has already has scarred humanity on a social level that's not healthy.
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Last night.. at the Super Bowl.

bieber phone.jpg
 
My son is 18, he has no facebook account, he uses snapchat to talk to his friends and occasionally (rarely) will post a picture or two on IG, but that's about it. He did that all on his own, and most of his friends are the same way.
 
Why are they not looking to kill Youtube and the ad revenue model it pushes?
 
ZenDragon said:
My son is 18, he has no facebook account, he uses snapchat to talk to his friends and occasionally (rarely) will post a picture or two on IG, but that's about it. He did that all on his own, and most of his friends are the same way.
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That is because facebook isn't cool anymore. Sorry dad....ignorant logic thinking that your kid is somehow smarter than the average bear when being stalked by the ultimate predator (social scientists with massive amounts of data knowing how to manipulate you with you knowing it).
 
Not many younger folks use facebook this is very true. Facebook has really become 9GAG and it's now just full of memes and videos. At least my experience has been this.
 
What's annoying for me personally, is that my daughter on an actress trajectory and she's being urged, demanded even to create her social media presence by her agents. And get this, she's 10 effing years old.
 
thesmokingman said:
What's annoying for me personally, is that my daughter on an actress trajectory and she's being urged, demanded even to create her social media presence by her agents. And get this, she's 10 effing years old.
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Insane. Even if that's good advice, it's bad advice. It that makes any sense. :)
 
Rahh said:
Not many younger folks use facebook this is very true. Facebook has really become 9GAG and it's now just full of memes and videos. At least my experience has been this.
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It's a social network site. I mostly use it for keeping in touch with people in case contact info changes. Random posts to my wall simply serve to let people know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.
 
Good. There are definitely many dangers of social media that younger people need to be educated about, such as privacy, addiction, internet trends, etc.
 
This is surprising and refreshing at the same time. I quit facebook over a year ago and don't miss it one bit. I would love for their servers to somehow magically burn to the ground but thats not realistic so I'll just wait patiently for it to die like MySpace did.
 
thesmokingman said:
Why are they not looking to kill Youtube and the ad revenue model it pushes?
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They are looking to educate kids on addiction. They are former Facebook and Google employees, they in no way have control or say in Youtube.
 
BlueFireIce said:
They are looking to educate kids on addiction
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I believe this is the greater issue. I really feel that more education on addiction, human psychology, needs, and the processes of transference need to employed. If those issues were addressed I doubt much of this social networking madness would exist.
 
I've always said social media needs to die. It's absolutely sick.
 
Trepidati0n said:
Sorry dad....ignorant logic thinking that your kid is somehow smarter than the average bear
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That clearly wasn't the point. My point, was that kids his age are avoiding Facebook without the influence of their parents. Good job being a dick though.
 
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