More on Facebook

Balder gave a thoughtful and well articulated response here to this post on Facebook's manipulation. I responded in the next post of that thread as follows:

I'd agree that with tribes like yours--and I include myself therein--higher educational opportunities gives us immunity to some degree from being easily manipulated by the powerful shaping influences of super media like Facebook. But many without those opportunities and development are easily so manipulated to not only remain within their limited 'likes' bubbles, but their likes themselves are shaped by the very structure of said media. So this in effect enbubbles us too by thinking that because we are somewhat immune then so is everyone else, which allows us to continue to support said media by our participation.


I'm not blaming you or the tribe, for I understand the benefits of such giant media structures for convenient communication and networking which indeed generates alternative ideas that counter said media manipulation, in theory. I'm just saying its a double edged sword, and wish we could in practice create alternative media structures like FB without the corporate agenda doing its usual manipulative thing to its members. Sharing our ideas and theories is great but when its kept within the very structures we'd like to change we are in effect also being held back. See e.g. my criticism of MSNBC on that very score here regarding the Comcast merger.