I disagree. I think these services have significant values in our life, and switching them off is a bad idea.
Instead we need are other services that does the opposite of Facebook. Instead of containing us in a bubble it will help us exploring the diversity of internet; it will take us to the least visited corners of the web and introduce us with new people and new thoughts.
>I disagree. I think these services have significant values in our life, and switching them off is a bad idea.
A lot of people seem to assume that just because something exists and it's used (and does a few things) then life without it would be inevitably worse.
Not saying that's your case exactly, but I'm not sold that Facebook offers something net positive long term to the people using it. If it's for communicating with other people, we never had more options: phone, IM, email, Skype and tons of other things besides. I find FB a more poisonous version of these things, based on lifestyle jealoushy, shallow exchanges, and allowing people to "keep up" with others without making any effort -- so, helping isolate them in effect.
True. But if you look across the broad landscape Facebook is doing more then fueling lifestyle jealousy. For example, in many countries political/social activists uses Facebook as their main communication medium.
Facebook is just another communication platform. I tend to think it like a phone where you can make really cheap phone calls. Now what the user will communicate is based on their socio/economic/political/life preference. And that surely includes a lots of meaningless noise.
And I think that's alright, because freedom is inherently chaotic.
Instead we need are other services that does the opposite of Facebook. Instead of containing us in a bubble it will help us exploring the diversity of internet; it will take us to the least visited corners of the web and introduce us with new people and new thoughts.