Facebook / Meta is not designed to be a democratic platform … it is a for-profit company!

… Its primary goal is to maximize engagement, which directly translates into more time spent on the platform, more ads seen, and ultimately more revenue.

Why Facebook encourages addiction-like behavior:

A) Business Model: Facebook makes money by selling targeted advertising. The more time users spend on the platform, the more data is collected, and the more ads they can serve.

B) Behavioral Design: Features like infinite scrolling, algorithmic newsfeeds, and unpredictable rewards (like getting a “like” or comment) are intentionally designed using psychological principles—similar to what you’d find in gambling.

C) Engagement Algorithms: Facebook’s algorithms prioritize content that gets strong emotional reactions (like outrage, fear, or excitement), not necessarily what’s most informative or healthy. This keeps users hooked and coming back.

Is Facebook supposed to be democratic?

Facebook has claimed to support democratic values like free speech and global connection. But in practice:

• It controls the algorithm that determines what people see.

• It filters and amplifies content based on business priorities, not democratic ideals.

• It has been criticized for spreading misinformation, enabling polarization, and undermining democratic processes.

So, while it may present itself as a neutral or democratizing platform, its structure and incentives align more with corporate profit than with public service or democracy.

If you like deeper look into how Facebook’s algorithm shapes what people believe and see, this is what’s going on:

… let’s dive into how Facebook’s algorithm works and why it has such a powerful influence on what you see, believe, and feel.

Facebook’s algorithm and content curation

… Facebook’s algorithm isn’t just a neutral filter—it’s a highly engineered system designed to maximize engagement. It decides what content appears in your news feed, based on a set of factors that prioritize your attention over everything else. Here’s a breakdown of how it works:

Engagement-based prioritization:

The algorithm prioritizes content that drives engagement—likes, shares, comments, and reactions. Why? Engagement is a proxy for “interest” or “attention,” and the more people interact with a post, the more Facebook can sell ads to advertisers interested in reaching an engaged audience.

Negative Engagement: Even anger or outrage can increase engagement. So, the algorithm might prioritize sensational or controversial content because it tends to spark more reactions.

Emotional Content: Posts that evoke strong emotions—whether positive (like joy) or negative (like outrage or fear)—tend to get pushed more. This results in people spending more time on Facebook, engaging in debates, or becoming more polarized.

Personalization:

The more you use Facebook, the more the algorithm learns about you and your habits. It uses data from your interactions—what you “like,” who you engage with, what types of articles you comment on, and even how long you linger on a post (which can be tracked by Facebook). It then personalizes the content to ensure it aligns with your interests or emotional triggers.

Echo Chamber Effect: This hyper-personalization can create an echo chamber—a feedback loop where you mostly see content that aligns with your existing views, which can make you even more entrenched in those beliefs. If you often engage with political content, for example, the algorithm will continue to show you more of it, reinforcing your perspective.

Virality and the spread of misinformation

… The algorithm also loves virality, which is why sensational headlines or clickbait perform so well.

Misinformation, conspiracy theories, and misleading stories often spread faster because:

• They provoke strong emotional reactions (shock, fear, or disbelief).

• They trigger clicks and shares, making them more likely to show up on your feed.

Facebook has tried to address misinformation by tweaking the algorithm, but in many cases, it still prioritizes engagement over accuracy. The viral nature of false information, combined with the dopamine hits from social validation (getting likes or comments), makes people more likely to spread it.

“Clickbait” and sensationalism:

The design of Facebook’s news feed often rewards content that grabs attention through clickbait titles, exaggerated headlines, or polarizing language. Even though Facebook has tried to limit clickbait by updating its algorithms, sensational content still gets more engagement, and thus, more visibility.

For example: A headline that says, “You won’t believe what happens next!” might get more clicks and comments than a neutral, fact-based article about a policy change. The algorithm doesn’t necessarily care if it’s true—it cares if it gets a reaction.

Filter bubbles:

One of the unintended consequences of this system is the formation of filter bubbles—where people only see content that aligns with their existing beliefs or preferences. This doesn’t just happen on Facebook; it happens on many social media platforms. The more you interact with a certain type of content, the more you’re fed similar content, which can narrow your worldview.

For example, if you engage with climate change denial posts, Facebook may show you more of those, reinforcing those ideas, while limiting exposure to alternative viewpoints.

The impact of Facebook’s algorithm

… This curation of content isn’t just passive—it shapes your worldview. Let’s break down some of the impacts:

Polarization:

Since emotionally charged and polarizing content tends to get more interaction, Facebook can create divides between different groups. You may see a completely different version of reality than someone else, depending on what content your algorithm is showing you. This has serious consequences for political polarization and social fragmentation.

Erosion of Trust:

Misinformation and emotional manipulation can erode trust in media and institutions. If your feed is constantly showing you false or misleading content, it can be harder to distinguish what’s true. This is partly why many people are so confused about issues like the pandemic or climate change—they’re seeing competing, often contradictory, narratives with equal weight.

Addiction and mental health:

Because of the addictive nature of these algorithms—feeding you content that’s designed to keep you engaged—it can lead to addiction-like behavior. The dopamine-driven feedback loop keeps you coming back for more. This constant flow of content, designed to hook your attention, is linked to feelings of anxiety, depression, and lowered self-esteem, especially among teens.

What are Facebook (Meta) doing about it?

… Facebook (Meta) has recognized some of the negative consequences of their algorithmic systems. They’ve made several attempts to adjust:

Promoting “high-quality” content: Facebook has occasionally tweaked the algorithm to prioritize more informative content from trusted sources, like news outlets, to try to reduce misinformation.

Fact-checking: The company has introduced third-party fact-checkers to label false information. However, these measures are often slow, and misinformation can still spread far before it’s flagged.

Transparency: Facebook has also promised more transparency around how its algorithms work, but the actual details of their algorithms are still not fully available to the public or researchers.

Even with these changes, many critics argue that Facebook is slow to act or that their profit incentives are simply too strong to make any fundamental changes to the core of the platform. After all, engagement and time spent on the site is still the ultimate goal.

The bottom line!

… Facebook’s algorithm is not neutral—it is engineered to maximize user engagement, which often means prioritizing emotional, polarizing, or sensational content. It has massive power in shaping what we believe, what we see, and how we feel. And while it might be marketed as a place for democratic conversation and global connection, its underlying design doesn’t necessarily prioritize truth, democracy, or even well-being.

It’s a double-edged sword – connecting billions of people, but also dividing and often misleading them!

In the early days, the posts with the most likes got the most attention. Over the years, advancements allowed Facebook to personalize every user’s feed based on their preferences, which they learn about by tracking internet activity.

They pay attention to the posts, videos, and advertisements each person likes, shares, or interacts with in any way. Even the amount of time someone spends looking at a photo or post is tracked. This allows Facebook to predict what someone is more likely to engage with and mark that content as more relevant for that user. Using the data they collect, the system predicts what someone wants to see and posts it to their feed. This curated content ends up making a person spend more time on the platform.

While it’s important to have an algorithm that displays relevant content, there is no regard for positive or negative feelings that someone may experience when looking at the posts. For example, using Facebook to obsessively check up on an ex romantic partner, read upsetting news articles, or constantly compare oneself to others can result in feelings of jealousy, fear, anger, and unworthiness.

What is Facebook addiction?

A Facebook addiction is a behavioral addiction where someone compulsively engages in online interactions to the point where it interferes with their functioning at home, work, and school. The signs of Facebook addiction include:

• Obsessive thoughts about Facebook
• Use of Facebook to relieve unpleasant emotions in real life
• Inability to stop or curb Facebook use after several attempts
• Experiencing distress or withdrawal from not being able to use Facebook
• Impact on work, school, or relationships due to problematic use of Facebook

Facebook addiction is often included under the umbrella term of social media addiction, but it is important to note that different social media platforms come with their own unique symptoms and risks. When Facebook use becomes a replacement for face-to-face connection, becomes compulsive, or starts causing health issues like sleep disturbances, it may be time to evaluate if there is a social media addiction present.

Addictive social media use will look much like any other substance use disorder and may include:

• Mood modification (engagement in social media leads to a favorable change in emotional states)
• Salience (behavioral, cognitive, and emotional preoccupation with social media)
• Tolerance (ever-increasing use of social media over time)
• Withdrawal symptoms (experiencing unpleasant physical and emotional symptoms when social media use is restricted or stopped)
• Conflict (interpersonal problems ensue because of social media usage)
• Relapse (addicted individuals quickly revert back to their excessive social media usage after an abstinence period)

The phenomena of social media addiction can be largely attributed to the dopamine-inducing social environments that social networking sites provide. Social media platforms produce the same neural circuitry that is seen in those with a gambling addiction and recreational drug users. The goal is to keep consumers using their products as much as possible; this has resulted in an increase of people displaying symptoms of TikTok addiction, Instagram addiction, Snapchat addiction, Facebook addiction, and even YouTube addiction.

Studies have shown that the constant stream of retweets, likes, and shares from these sites cause the brain’s reward area to trigger the same kind of chemical reaction seen with drugs like cocaine. In fact, neuroscientists have compared social media interaction to a syringe of dopamine being injected straight into the system.

What causes Facebook addiction?

Being on Facebook and other social media platforms changes how the brain functions, especially in youth and young adults whose brains are still developing.

Facebook use can:

• Hijack the attention of users.
• Interfere with normal cognition.
• Decrease verbal intelligence.
• Slow maturing of gray and white matter in the brain.

Facebook also impacts behavior. For example, some students show a decline in in-person relationships and socialization, preferring to have Facebook connections instead.

Mental health and personality traits influence addiction to Facebook.

People with mental health diagnoses had higher levels of social media addiction, including those with:

• Anxiety
• Social anxiety
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Being on Facebook can trigger a release of dopamine, the feel-good chemical, giving the user a sense of pleasure and reward. The brain connects that feeling with social media and encourages the person to continue using it, seeking more pleasure, which usually happens when a person gets likes and follows.

When a person doesn’t get likes or followers, there is no dopamine release, and it can leave them feeling depressed. Instead of discontinuing their use of Facebook, they use it even more to chase the “high.” The same is true for other addictions such as gambling addiction, drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and other behavioral addictions.

Risk factors of Facebook addiction

… Demographics and personal traits can be risk factors for social media and Facebook addiction.

Gender

Females had higher levels of social media addiction when compared to males, possibly due to their desire to enhance communication through social activities. They took more selfies to share online than male social media users.

Impulsivity

Participants who met the criteria for having higher levels of impulsiveness were more likely to develop social media addiction. Impulsiveness to use social media may be due to a need to suppress or exacerbate other feelings, such as boredom or fluctuating attention.

Self-Esteem

People with low self-esteem use Facebook to boost their self-image. Self-esteem was a risk factor when people started seeking positive feedback online. Once they receive it, self-esteem becomes a protective factor.

Emotions

Anxiety and social anxiety are the emotions with the highest risk factor levels. Online social interactions cause much lower levels of stress for people that have trouble engaging in in-person social activity.

Attention To Negative Information

Those with social media addiction tend to display negative attention bias, an effect in which people who struggle with negative emotions seek negative information. The attention of someone experiencing depression, anxiety, or other mental health symptoms is caught easier by negative information.

“The world will be deceived” – and there is big money in this practice!

All of the above can be summarized into a single sentence – “The world will be deceived and there is big money in this practice”!

An more acceptable form – “Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur!”, – which directly translated means – ‘The world will be deceived, let it be so!

… Rumor says that Pope Paul IV, during a blessing, have muttered this over the unwary crowd, but the rumor might not be true!

Facebook – is a new belief system, that has filtered its way into many people’s brains, with its well calculated algorithms – just like TikTok’s and Instagram’s etc.

A belief system that more than half of the world’s population now allows itself to be controlled by – and where the basic motto of the companies involved is – Moneys talks bullshit walks.

Put down the phone and become a free-thinking human being. A human who relates to other humans in real life

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Yours sincerely

The Editorial Team

ThePeoplePress.com

– The Truth Matters To Us –

– Your Truth Matters To Us –

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