Facebook’s growth spurt ended on the eve of its’ 18th birthday. For the first time ever, the number of daily active users dropped. A tremendous jolt for a business that made growth charts obsolete.
Facebook burst out of the gate with a 1,000% growth rate within 24 hours of its’ February 4, 2004 launch. And growing by leaps and bounds took on new meaning as users grew from millions to billions—one million in one year (2004), one billion in 2012, and almost three billion in 2022.
But hold the champagne. The drop in fourth quarter income triggered the biggest ever daily stock market loss for a U.S. firm, namely Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
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Disturbing for Facebook, but why should people with disabilities care? The same reason as the other three billion users! We count.
Because Facebook allows anyone with an email address and real-life identity to have an account, users with disabilities are included without typical exclusionary barriers. As a result, we are among the multitudes affected by Facebook’s foibles and fumbles. So as Facebook presumably reflects on its’ path forward, users need to reflect on how we spend our time on Facebook.
Let’s start with appreciating what Facebook does for users:
- Dissolves global boundaries and connects users ready to share what’s happening in our lives.
- With Facebook’s 2016 shift toward meaningful communities, organizations like Little People of America and people with dwarfism contribute to the count of ten million groups. People with dwarfism and their associates join various groups in which they receive news, support, ideas, answers to questions, et al. For example, an advocacy group solicits action on cultural and social issues negatively impacting people of short stature, such as “midget” as a descriptor of products, dehumanizing entertainment like dwarf tossing, and barriers in the built environment.
- Safety Check allows people in or near disaster sites to confirm they’re safe after a blizzard, fire, flood, hurricane, mass shooting, or other emergency.
At the same time, we are individually responsible to protect ourselves from the dangers inherent in social media use. We can’t count on Facebook to protect our privacy. So share wisely. Let’s not be among the plus 50% who post their email address or 20% who share their phone number online.
Evaluate the veracity of what you read. Facebook has been blamed for spreading false stories and fake news on things like elections and vaccination rates. And be aware that five percent of Facebook accounts are fake.
Don’t be manipulated by Facebook algorithms that can influence how we express ourselves. For example, in 2018, Facebook allegedly tweaked its algorithm to encourage angrier content. Remember “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24 (New American Standard Bible)
Regulate your Facebook time to avoid addiction (more than 4 hours each day), loss of meaningful real-life experiences, and exacerbating depression. Let’s take a Facebook holiday when our use negatively impacts how we feel or behave.
So what’s your experience with Facebook?
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