Exiting The Zuckerberg Empire
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Jesus Christ in Mark 8:36
I used to be envious of Mark Zuckerberg. Being just two years older than him, I fell into the silly trap of comparing my accomplishments to his as I witnessed his rise to global domination. That envy turned into disdain when Facebook devolved into a platform that profited immensely from hate and misinformation.
I grant that Facebook and its product portfolio have contributed greatly to the world and running it is incredibly complex. I also don’t begrudge Mark his wealth or power. What I find problematic is his amorality and craven response to those who use Facebook for their evil ends.
I’ve held this view of Facebook for some time but never felt compelled to act on it until the recent uproar over Trump’s “When the looting starts, the shooting starts” tweet. Twitter informed people that Trump’s tweets violated its rules on glorifying violence. Facebook left it unflagged. As the weeks progressed, I observed that Twitter consistently fact-checked Trump on elections and Facebook kept doing nothing. Watching a smaller player put up a stronger fight for truth and humanity than a behemoth like Facebook really underscored Mark’s lack of moral convictions.
The outpouring of grief and rage in the wake of George Floyd’s death really shook me. As I posted a black square on my Instagram feed and shared stories in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, I felt this dissonance. Even if my content is positive and uplifting, my mere presence on a Facebook property was enabling Mark Zuckerberg to carry on being the amoral person that he is. I would be complicit in my own little way for the horrors that result from his decisions. That thought didn’t sit well with my soul.
As I write this, big corporate advertisers like Coca-Cola and Unilever are pledging to pause their spending on Facebook for the month of July. This seems to have pressured Mark to reverse his position on violations. It’s a step in the right direction. However, it is telling that amidst the dissent from his employees, Mark would only move when his net worth is threatened. Money is the only thing he will listen to. How much more then, does he have to lose for him to genuinely value doing the right thing? I guess a hell of a lot more.
It’s time to exit the Zuckerberg Empire.
I plan to delete all my accounts by July 1, 2020. I’ve already deleted Whatsapp and it was painless. Facebook will be a bit more involved as I have more data to contend with but I honestly have no affinity for it. Instagram, I feel the most attached to and will definitely miss.
Twitter as imperfect as it is, has earned my respect with its efforts to combat misinformation and champion inclusion. Though I’ve been on Twitter for over a decade, I’ve never been very active on it. That will slowly change as I move all my social media activity to Twitter.
I also intend to publish an email newsletter to connect directly with people. If Twitter turns too toxic for my taste, then I could also quit it and still reach the people I care about.
Seeing the inhumanity today can be quite depressing. It seems like things will just go from bad to worse. Some get radicalized by this and set out to “change the world!” Others are just exhausted and simply want to live another day. In my case, I choose to act on the things I have agency over and trust that God will handle the rest.
I share this because you may feel similarly and this articulates the thoughts swirling in your head. Maybe you’ve considered deleting your accounts but are still waffling over the decision. The tipping point for me was seeing Elizabeth Suzann, a slow fashion entrepreneur, announce that she was quitting Instagram. I have long admired her and how she built her business on ethical values. She went ahead and did it. Last I checked, her account was gone. I guess you could say that she influenced me. Whatever you decide, as long as you uphold what your conscience dictates, is the right decision for you.
As someone who worships Jesus Christ, I believe that no one is beyond the hope of salvation. The apostle Paul brutally persecuted Christians before God converted him to be one of the great saints of the faith. In 2 Thessalonians 3:13-15, he encourages us to “never grow tired of doing what is right. If anyone refuses to obey what I have written in this letter, take note of him and have nothing to do with him, so that he will feel that he is in the wrong; though you are not to regard him as an enemy but as a brother in need of correction.” It is in this spirit that I make my decision.
If you’d like to connect with me, I invite you to join me on twitter @sheilalina.