Leading tech experts say Facebook is as bad for your social life as cigarettes are bad for your health. Leading the battle against Facebook addiction and the social media’s influence is tech billionaire Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce. Benioff tore into Facebook at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland last year, saying the social media should be regulated just as the cigarette industry.
“Facebook is the new cigarettes,” Benioff told tech journalists. “It’s addictive. It’s not good for you.”
Benioff is not the only individual who relates Facebook’s influence and addiction with the dangers of smoking. He alongside others who share the same theory believes the government should do something to curb the influence of the world’s largest social media, most especially in the wake of data breach scandals and political interferences.
Social Media Cause Addiction, Distractions and Attention-Deficits to Users
Benioff spoke to a number of persons before plunging at Facebook. Among these is Jim Steyer, foundeer of Common Sense Media, a group advocating for children protection on the internet. Steyer said social media platforms cause addiction, distractions and attention-deficits to users. He went on to add that the media giant and others such as Twitter and Amazon “committed assaults on our democratic institutions.”
Another individual who reinforced Benioff’s opinion is Roger McNamee, a Facebook investor and former mentor to Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook. He said it is proper for Benioff to view Facebook influence and addiction through the lens of public health. McNamee added that the cigarette comparison is great because everyone gets the message that way. He said social media platforms prey on people, manipulate their attention, predict what people say or do, and invade people’s private lives.
Everyone Would Benefit If Facebook, Google and Amazon Break Up
The tech experts and others who share their thoughts proffered solutions to Facebook dominance. They said social media platforms are not capable of regulating themselves even with the privacy laws. McNamee said Facebook, Google and Amazon among others can be curtailed if they are stopped from making acquisitions and sharing data between subsidiaries.
“The economy would benefit from breaking them up,” McNamee and Steyer posited. “Maybe they should be forced to divest of Instagram and Facebook. [A breakup] would not be a bad idea at all. Let them concentrate on their core business.”
Facebook would not comment on this issue. But Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook said the company is ready to work with regulators to protect people’s data and prevent online abuse. She said the company had made mistakes in the past and would never allow a repeat again.