Facebook is the biggest social media site in the entire world—boasting over 2 billion users.
The amount of power this company has to shape our perception of life is unimaginable, when you think about it.
But don’t take our word for it: Facebook themselves recently admitted that using the platform can endanger your mental health, though, ironically, they claimed the problem is “passive” consumption.
In other words, the problem isn’t using their site too much, the problem is not using it enough—which simply fails to make sense on so many levels.
But what else do you expect Facebook to say? That you should, maybe, put down the smartphone and go outside for a breath of fresh air?
No way…and indeed, the company has long utilized various techniques to effectively engage in mind control over its users.
Addictive Engagement
Casinos learned long ago that the right combination of risk and reward maximized the amount of dollars users were willing to spend on a slot machine.
Between the colorful lights, rewarding sounds, and bit of cash you can make, it’s been a winning formula for the casino bosses ever since.
In many ways, Facebook uses similar manipulative tactics, but instead of winning your dollars, they’re trying to win your attention.
From the gratifying sound of a notification to the buzzing vibration accompanying a private message, the whole model can spike your excitement, no doubt even triggering a small dopamine release in your brain.
Putting the “Face” In “Facebook”
Facial recognition will always be a fantasy of any Orwellian elite-class, and Facebook ironically does just that: by having a profile picture of yourself attached to an account that you’re constantly updating with personal information, you’re effectively providing facial recognition services for anyone with the power to watch.
Ironically, Facebook recently submitted a patent for new technology that allowed them to switch on your smartphone’s camera (without you knowing it) while you’re scrolling through your feed and analyze your facial expressions/reactions to different content.
This is the kind of terrifying new technology that seems to spell the end of human sovereignty as we enter an age where everything about us is cataloged with scientific precision.
False Empowerment
We’ve all felt the urge: you hear something infuriating, so you take to social media to vent your feelings into a long Facebook post.
The immediate impression upon clicking the “post” button is a sense of progress—that you’ve somehow told the world how you feel and, at the least, your opinion counts.
And although this may be true in many cases, more important than how many people saw the post is: how did posting that make you feel?
Are you suddenly less concerned about the topic you ranted on? Do you feel less inclined to actually go out and do something about it? These are the subtleties about social media that should really make you wonder how beneficial this synthetic interface with our world really is….
Jason Christoff, a specialist in Facebook’s mind control techniques, explains how manipulative the “like” system really is:
“The algorithms inside the Facebook program are set to more widely distribute what you write to your friend list, the less you use it. This means the first post you make in the morning, gets the most wide distribution, and successive posts that follow, get progressively less and less distribution.
“Facebook is designed like a casino machine, to give out a massive payout of likes, with your first post in a day, to make sure you’re drawn to the addiction daily. It is also interesting to note that more likes, comments and traffic toward your page happens when you are on it.
“This means when you sit in front of the computer moving the mouse, you get more emotional rewards, as opposed to posting and walking away.
“This sort of brain activation reward control system makes people addicted to short term reward only, making them unable to apply themselves to any project that provides a reward in the long term future, like starting a business for example.
“This short term stimuli system manufacturers a person who needs reward on a minute to minute basis, placing real success completely out of their reach because real success is based on accomplishing long term.”
Global Population Analysis
Facebook, quite literally, has its finger on the pulse of the planet.
Anytime there’s a critical event being followed by a large number of people, the company has stunning levels of internal metrics and data that act effectively like a crystal ball.
In the event of a catastrophic event, like a terror attack or mass shooting, Facebook can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the public’s response, including whether or not they believe the official narratives being distributed by government outlets and mainstream media.
So Now what?
No, not everything about Facebook is detrimental to our live .
It can genuinely connect us with family and friends, and even inform us about topics the authorities would rather us not hear.
Everything is moderation would be a good starting point, but in truth, it’s more about being conscious of how you’re coaxed in certain directions by Facebook’s algorithms, including what information it chooses to put in your feed.
Remain vigilant and stay up to date on the myriad ways Facebook is evolving to maximize consumer retention.
Sources: Collective-Evolution The Guardian JChristoff
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