Is Facebook at Fault?

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I must admit that Facebook is one of my go-to platforms because it gives me a good variety of everything. I can see pictures, videos and news and yes, occasionally the news is fake. Facebook has been taking some hard hits for not filtering the news that is published, but should we go as far to say that it is “negative for democracy?” According to this article by Merrit Kennedy, people are starting to believe it is.



According to Kennedy, Facebook admits that social media can be negative for democracy. Now, did Facebook say this because they believe it is true or did they say it to get people off their tail? After the 2016 U.S. presidential election, people criticized Facebook for not doing enough to stop fake news that could have influenced viewer’s votes. So, are these people ultimately blaming Facebook for the outcome of the election? I completely agree with Mark Zuckerberg when he says, "There's a profound lack of empathy in asserting that the only reason why someone could have voted the way that they did is because they saw some fake news."



As I said, I have witnessed fake news on Facebook myself, but with any news I see, I always consider the possibility that it could be fake. Well, how do you know if it is fake? You do some research! If you see something that you are not sure you can trust, Google it. If it is true, chances are there will be other people talking about it from other sources. Now, I do understand that there are some gullible people out there. One of these, for example, is my mom. Just the other day she was distraught because she saw on Facebook that Rebel Wilson died. She said, “Crystal, did you hear that Rebel Wilson died? Is that true?” I replied, “It is probably some fake news, mom.” A few days later she still questioned whether it was true or not. I am sorry, mom. I love you, but if you can figure out Facebook, you can figure out google, and if my mom can figure out Google, so can the rest of America. That said, it is not Facebook’s fault that people are deceived with fake news, nor is it the fault of those who post it. If it is anyone’s fault, it is their own for being deceived in the first place.



Now, I must admit fake news is not an enjoyable thing to come across and can, in fact, become quite annoying. If it is not true, it is wasting my time. Therefore, it is quite satisfying that Facebook plans to do something to get this under control. This will make many people happy and hopefully decrease the amount that they are hassled.



All in all, Facebook does have an issue with fake news, but whether viewers believe the news or not, is not up to them. People should not believe everything they see on the internet. Anyone who has access to fake news has access to check if it is real of not. If you don’t check if what you hear is true, then you are just being lazy and will be filled with false information. Sadly, people are filled with the instinct to find someone or something to blame when things to not go their way. In reality, we are in control of what we see, hear, do and believe. So, who then is at fault but ourselves?

Comments

  1. AbbyJanuary 29, 2018 at 2:36 PM

    I just read an article the other day saying Facebook is changing their news feed so that news that is "good" or sparking in conversation is at the top of peoples feeds. I agree that it is not entirely facebooks fault for this fake news. People will believe what they want to believe and there is nothing stopping them from finding a completely different fake article and posting it. I am still not sure what being "negative for democracy" means in regards to social media. To insinuate that it was FACEBOOKS fault for the fake news regarding the candidates is absolutely absurd. Facebook is a channel where people can share and do whatever they want. If these articles make their way onto Facebook, that is not their fault. Loved hearing your insight on this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Adelyn HelmsFebruary 5, 2018 at 2:54 PM

    I agree! As much as it must be annoying to have fake news flooding Facebook, if the information is enough to sway your vote one way or the other, you should do more research on it before making a decision! Looking at headlines is not enough. I have relatives that do the same things as your mom! It can be funny at times, but frustrating when they let it feed into their opinion for something as important as the election. We have gotten lazy, I think, as a society, because of how great a resource the internet can be most of the time. I think the problem is with us.

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