Facebook Blackout!

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My social media habits are shifting.

I am participating in a Facebook blackout from Nov 5 – Nov 11, 2019. A number of us are doing this for two reasons:

1. If we live in a place where we vote, we don’t want to be influenced by the political ads on Facebook,even inadvertently.

2. We are staying off until Veterans Day as a protest against Facebook’s public position that they are fine with untruthful political advertising as long as they get paid for it. In taking that position, Facebook, where 40% of the US electorate gets its news, has claimed an exception to the rules for political advertising.

I am looking for some alternatives to Facebook for my professional and family networking. I’d like to sever all relationship with Mr Zuckerberg and his policies. Until then this little blackout will have to do.

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rabbiadar

Rabbi Ruth Adar is a teaching rabbi in San Leandro, CA. She has many hats: rabbi, granny, and ham radio operator K6RAV. She blogs at http://coffeeshoprabbi.com/ and teaches at Jewish Gateways in Albany, CA.

4 thoughts on “Facebook Blackout!”

  1. yesterday I had my computer technician deactivate my FB account.

    I have several reasons:
    I resent Mark Zuckerberg allowing Cambridge analytica to harvest information from our accounts.
    I do not believe free speech means there should be no community standards, so it is alright to lie, or otherwise act nasty.
    I do not know what positive work FB is doing because to me, it is an easy place for cowards to hide behind their computer screen, as they insulkt anyone who disagrees with them.

    I had that experience with Bernie Sanders’ supporters, I said I wanted to learn how he saw race, class and sex connected, and was promptly told I was obviously stupid, mentally ill, although supporters could not say how, and a male college student told me my head was up my vagina.

    I do not feel safe on FB.

    I never really got to know anyone on it, either.

    As a widow, I am lonely, but FB is pretend connections.

    It only made me feel worse to use it.

    Reply

  2. Oh, how I hear you!
    I keep hoping that there will soon, very soon, be an alternative to the disgusting Facebook b.s.
    I have my business on it and have connected with old friends. But, there just HAS to be another way.
    Thanks for this!

    Reply

  3. what did we do before Facebook? I use email and email lists to communicate. Don’t need Facebook or any other social media. Don’t think it’s safe.

    Reply

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