Tuesday, May 10, 2016

When “Facebook” is the news.

You have probably heard or read by now that our social addiction—Facebook—is making the news after exercising covert manipulations of what you see on your news-feed. It turns out that Fakebook’s (Rush Limbaugh’s pet name for the social media site) does not use algorithms after all. Before this latest reveal, Fakebook executives claimed the incredible amount of very complex data that enters the laboratories of Fakebook every minute, are consumed, digested and analyzed by geeks; people that can actually spell algorithm. After the geek-churning is completed, the very convoluted algorithm will determine what should be in the news-feed of the Fakebook faithful.

As it turns out the geek-churners aren’t MIT analyst or of any similar pedigree. More likely, it is “Allen” and “Lisa”, a couple of left leaning interns that “decide” what news is worthy of sharing.
This news shouldn’t surprise any of us. Manipulation is the new standard for many of the communication and information providers. In some cases, “manipulation” doesn’t even accurately describe what today’s anchor men and women try to get away with…a rose is a rose and a lie is a lie, and Brian Williams is still Brian Williams.

But for this perversion of truth to enter the sacred confines of our Facebook page requires outrage! 

Well maybe not outrage, but at least a look at what consumers accept as okay when doing business in today’s world. But Facebook is free, you say. Not really, I reply. They are traded publicly for truckloads of cash. Not to mention all the other bells and whistles you can purchase to boost your standing.

Next week, by this time, this story will likely be lost in the stratosphere of forgotten stories. Why? Because we love our Facebook. We love our “Friends” and “Followers”. We love that someone “liked” something we said for the first time in our miserable, secluded, Saturday-night-alone lives.  Don’t pretend you don’t float your cursor over Joe Cool and sixteen others like this so to see who the sixteen others are, because you know you do!

We love the stupid cute kitten videos, the even stupider cute puppy videos. We challenge others to get 100,000,000,000 “Likes” for a cause that we really know nothing about. And evidently the only way you can convince others that you love Jesus and are a true Christian is by sharing some sappy picture.

I have had it with the Fakebook!

I think it is time we try something new. This may seem a little radical to you, especially if your wake up alarm is a Facebook tune. But put up with me for just a few moments. Look, you have read this far without suffering from Facebook withdrawals, you can do it.

This radical idea…well it doesn’t even require you to have a computer!

Phase 1
This evening, walk outside, wave to a neighbor, or someone walking down the sidewalk.
Step 1 of Phase 1 completed.

Introduce yourself, just in case they don’t know your name after living next door for twelve years. Step 2 accomplished!

And now, talk to them. Talk about what’s in the news, the weather, your kids, your schools; share your favorite sports team accomplishes or defeats…Step 3 in the bag.

All of a sudden you have made FRIEND, SHAREd a thought and you even LIKE this new experience.
And the whole world doesn’t know about it, because the whole world doesn’t need to know about it.

Phase 2
If you want to know what’s making news, rub a few quarters together and buy a newspaper. The newspaper exec's would like that very much, they are desperate for customers. Maybe one afternoon we might even see the paperboy rolling down the street on a BMX, learning what it means to have a job.

Or tune into your local news channel; there are plenty to choose from. They may slant to the right or, God forbid, the left, but you are intelligent enough to know how to think! Fakebook doesn’t think so. They depend on you reacting, not thinking, as evidenced by their recent inclusion of emoji likes.

By now you may be thinking, Jim, you are talking about going back to the good ol’ days. Damn right!

And finally, Phase 3
The next time you want to know how your mom, your children, your spouse are doing, don’t “Message” them on Facebook…ask them, face to face.

If someone you know, a “friend” or “follower” says or writes or shares something you like, pick up your smartphone and call them.

If someone asks you about your faith or about Jesus—
Tell them His story.
We could call it Faithbook.

It might go viral….

No comments:

Post a Comment

Random Thoughts

Hold My Hand

If you were to ask any of my children what colloquial truisms they recall their father uttering as they passed from toddler to young ad...