[knoke]

I'm not sure if what a single person experiences fits a societal impact, and I don't know if it is privileged thinking. But when I quit Facebook (FB Blue) it was almost ridiculous how easy it was and how little of an actually recognisable impact it had on my life (but that might be the privilege speaking). From the psychological routines to the social norms: I basically forgot that it existed within a couple of days.

I imagine this to be a more universal thing: It is impossible to imagine a live without Facebook. But it has been basically impossible to imagine a live with Facebook before there was any and just as quickly you will forget how inevitable and necessary it felt while it was there – once it loses its role. And I hope that this applies not only to individuals but also to societies.

I guess we will find out in the near future to just how many things this principle applies, for example petrol fuels, casual international flights and video platforms. Quitting Facebook Blue has shown me that to unlearn something is just as easy as it is to learn it. This is not nicotine or alcohol. This is just a mode of doing something you do anyways.

[lb1lf]

The problem (in some places, at least) is that people and organisations have mindlessly started using FB to communicate; I (reluctantly) signed up as the school my kids attend, their athletics union &c all started using Facebook to share information as 'everyone was on FB anyway'.

Pointing out that that was demonstrably not true, the response pretty much was 'sign up or lose out'.

I don't mind people using FB to communicate. I do mind when it is the only option available.

[soco]

The uproar is caused by Facebook's (botched) removal of news sites. Are all those people using Facebook as their sole information source? Then yes, they will be affected. If not, then whatever. As for myself I read the Guardian anyway in their own app, same for my other news sources, so if Facebook decided to do the same in my country, I wouldn't even notice - and neither my publishers.

[ErikCorry]

OK but Facebook users in Australia can still use Facebook for this.

[lb1lf]

Oh, they most definitely can - when replying, I had the OP's observation that quitting FB hadn't impacted his life at all.

It wouldn't impact mine, either - hadn't it been for all the entities you need to interact with who unilaterally decide that Facebook is the way to interact - period.

[simonh]

I think that's missing why so many people use and like facebook. Personally I can't stand it, but I know how to track down and use forums, discord servers, Reddit groups, etc for topics I enjoy.

However for a vast swathe of non-tech savvy ordinary people Facebook provides a simple, complete, highly functional way to keep in touch with family and friends and socialise online. For the vast majority of these people using special purpose tools, apps and forums is way too much.

I don't like it or the company, but it's massively popular for very good reasons and it's no point pretending those reasons don't exist.

[knoke]

I didn't elaborate on this. But this is what I meant when I pointed out my possible privilege. I don't want to condemn people who use it; and it might indeed be a very good communication tool for many people. I know how WhatsApp has changed my elder relatives' way of communicating and I can't imagine that anything else but Facebook's power to create size effects did this...

But I'm very sure that it doesn't need Facebook to do this right. It could be anything else.

[supert56]

Totally agree with this.

I stopped using Facebook years ago and feel that leaving it had no real impact on my life.

If there is one thing the pandemic has shown it’s how resilient people are.

If Facebook disappeared off the face of the earth tomorrow there would be outrage and surprise for a month and then people would move on.

It would just become another episode in history and no doubt other platforms and tools would come in its place.

[MayeulC]

Pardon my ignorance, but as someone who has never used Facebook (I just saw some friends use it), what is FB Blue? From a cursory search, there is a hint of a redesign happening at some point, but that's it.

[KaoruAoiShiho]

It's the main facebook app, blue is a nickname for it in SV circles. It's to differentiate it from their other apps insta, etc

[knoke]

I used "Blue" to criticise myself for not severing all ties to Facebook (I still use Instagram and WhatsApp) but just from Facebook, the social network (=blue). But I want to firmly distance myself from any SV circles! ;)

[flemhans]

What's an SV circle?

[knoke]

KaoruAoiShiho said "blue" was a nickname for the main facebook app "in SV circles" and probably meant: Silicon Valley Circles.

But now that I think of this I wish it was something more technical... [edit:typo]

[samizdis]

Silicon Valley