Every time you use Facebook/Meta, you are giving them money. Why do you do this?
The Numbers
During the third quarter of 2021, Facebook’s revenue was $29.01 billion dollars.
During the same period, Facebook had 2.91 billion active users.
Therefore, on average, each user generated $10 for Facebook during the quarter. That includes you.
Which means that on average, your using Facebook generated Facebook $40 a year.
[I suspect that some users are more lucrative to Facebook than others. So keep in mind that if you are reading this, your value to Facebook is likely much higher than ten dollars per quarter.]
The Reality
Since you likely did not send that money yourself to Facebook, where did that money come from? It came from advertisers and tracking companies that use all that information from Facebook. Everything you do on Facebook, what you follow, what you like, who you are connected to… is all tracked. And all that information is sold to advertisers and tracking companies.
And not only what you do on Facebook. Facebook the company tracks people online even they are not using Facebook the app.
And that means You are the product being sold. Why do we say You are the product? Because you, and your information is what is being sold.
Did you know you are the product? Did you agree to be a product someone else makes money from? All of your behaviors, activities, interests, connections, likes and dislikes are being sold… so someone else makes money. You are getting nothing.
The product is you, and yet you get nothing.
So by virtue of your using Facebook, you are giving Facebook more money. More money comes to Facebook because you use it.
Needless to say, Facebook is not some benign entity. As recent reports have shown, Facebook found that the more extreme and harmful the content, the more people stay on and use Facebook. So, by your using Facebook, you are giving them more money to promote more and more extreme and harmful content,
Drop It
It is possible to stop this harm. It is very simple: Stop using Facebook.
Someone might complain or worry about loss of “connectivity” if thay eliminate Facebook from their lives. But let me assure you, it is possible to live and thrive without Facebook. One can stay connected without Facebook. Just try it.
How have you fared without Facebook? You can let me know here.
The kimono design is from a book of patterns published by Honda Unkindō, ca. 1902, based on the designs of Ueno Seikō. Courtesy Smithsonian Institution.
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