Facebook’s dramatic downfall in the public eye has some declaring it the AOL of 2021 due to their similar trajectories.
In the early 1990s, America Online used tactics such as distributing floppy disks and placing them in magazines to get users to go online.
Today, Facebook seems to be the continuation of AOL’s vision, especially because it employs similar tactics by offering people around the world a curated series of free activities that keep them trapped in a kind of “walled garden,” just like AOL.
Initially, Facebook garnered a lot of love by connecting individuals with real people. Companies also loved Facebook, given the advertising revenue the social media giant generated for their companies.
Over time, however, people have turned on Facebook, as they have lost much of the control of the platform. Facebook has not only imposed restrictions on who may speak and whom people can talk to, but has also manipulated the way people talk to each other with computer algorithms known as “data voodoo dolls.”
Moreover, Facebook has shaped people’s behavior by observing and invading their data, while limiting their freedom to make additional revenue from advertising.
For more information, read the original story in ZDNet.
