God! no wonder I've been so chipper lately. My friends all thought I was just losing my mindInteresting. Unethical?
Because Facebook made you find it so by warping your brain?Why do I find this absolutely hilarious?
No, it's because every little change made to FB is bound to piss some people off. It only alters my emotional state if I let it alter it. It's not controlling me.Because Facebook made you find it so by warping your brain?
Is it only unethical because they tried to illicit what is perceived as a negative emotion? Would the same reaction be given if they tried to make everyone happy or improve everyone's FB experience while using the same tactics?
But if they did only try to make people happy by improving their experience?They did both.
But if they did only try to make people happy by improving their experience?
If they succeed in improving the majority of it's users expedience, then it stands to reason they aren't angry over it and it was good business practice. But if they fail, then people get butthurt and it's FB fault that they allowed themselves to get angry.Depends if the goal is "make people happy" (which could be viewed as communist brainwashing) or "improve the experience" which just just good business.
If they succeed in improving the majority of it's users expedience, then it stands to reason they aren't angry over it and it was good business practice. But if they fail, then people get butthurt and it's FB fault that they allowed themselves to get angry.
Just not sure what is worse (if I can use that word with a straight face) that FB tried to illicit an emotional response or people give them what they want over something to trivial like changes to their precious FB.
But it's FB for (insert your preferred deity here) sake! It's not like people are actually being messed with here. People gonna get buthurt and people gonna get happy and they check to see who gets butthurt or happy. Did anyone commit suicide or lose their job or lively hood over this? Did anyone get cancer or AIDS? Simplest way to avoid it then would be not to use FB or social media, or the internet if anyone is that paranoid. Guess what, life will go on for those that do.I think the problem is that people don't like the idea of participating unwillingly in a psychological experiment.
They don't realize that they do this all the time with A/B testing - so this published study is getting people annoyed.
I agree David, so why isn't anyone discussing what's next. From Pete's link above;I would say it was unethical but Facebook seem to be using their T&Cs as consent, and while technically it is consent it is hardly informed consent.
The paper itself is an interesting read http://www.pnas.org/content/111/24/8788.full but I do wonder if FB did a follow up with the subjects as there is the potential for harm in their method.
But it's FB for (insert your preferred deity here) sake! It's not like people are actually being messed with here. People gonna get buthurt and people gonna get happy and they check to see who gets butthurt or happy. Did anyone commit suicide or lose their job or lively hood over this? Did anyone get cancer or AIDS? Simplest way to avoid it then would be not to use FB or social media, or the internet if anyone is that paranoid. Guess what, life will go on for those that do.
Putting words in other peoples mouths is usually not your tactic.I think you are missing the point here. People just don't like being in a psychological experiment. You not minding is not the same thing as other people not minds. People are upset, and you thinking their upset is unwarranted is entirely besides the point.
You are off the mark. If this were a study with face to face subjects there would be screening questions before hand, or a follow up and debrief afterwards.But it's FB for (insert your preferred deity here) sake! It's not like people are actually being messed with here. People gonna get buthurt and people gonna get happy and they check to see who gets butthurt or happy. Did anyone commit suicide or lose their job or lively hood over this? Did anyone get cancer or AIDS? Simplest way to avoid it then would be not to use FB or social media, or the internet if anyone is that paranoid. Guess what, life will go on for those that do.
Always read the TOS.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s15e01-humancentipad
I would suggest to them that they get friends that are less negative and depressing. FB didn't insert anything into anyone feed, they just controlled what they saw of their friends. So if something they saw made them upset or happy it's not FB fault, it's the friend's that posted it.I can well imagine some users feelng intensely depressed or even angry when faced with increased negativity on FB.
I would suggest to them that they get friends that are less negative and depressing. FB didn't insert anything into anyone feed, they just controlled what they saw of their friends. So if something they saw made them upset or happy it's not FB fault, it's the friend's that posted it.
So they make potential lifestyle changes because of an experiment they are unaware of and you find that acceptable? Most people can cope with a little negativity, however the subjects were faced with mainly negativity. They could lose friends and not be aware they were manipulated.I would suggest to them that they get friends that are less negative and depressing. FB didn't insert anything into anyone feed, they just controlled what they saw of their friends. So if something they saw made them upset or happy it's not FB fault, it's the friend's that posted it.
I've had to delete old friends because of their depression and negativity.
Only for 600,000 random people. And no FB didn't make my old friends negative and depressed, drugs and alcohol did that.Facebook changed the amount of the negative or positive posts in a feed. So the change in the aggregate effect is something that they caused.
What I'm saying is that if they didn't put themselves around people that say negative things, FB wont have a chance to only show them negative things. Why would anyone want friends that are negative or that post things that upset you? FB didn't make what those friends said negative.So they make potential lifestyle changes because of an experiment they are unaware of and you find that acceptable? Most people can cope with a little negativity, however the subjects were faced with mainly negativity. They could lose friends and not be aware they were manipulated.
Don't you see that as bad?
how is negative defined?
Great question, what is negative to one is not to another.how is negative defined?
It's ok Mick it wouldn't make a difference to me because like society it is far more complex . I might like someone's overly gloatly picture of the latest thing they bought for there child because I see them daily or we work together, when in actual fact I think 'oh come on we all know how rich you are'![]()
Of course words in images would not count.Then I say we probably saw a large influx of Grumpy Cat. One good way things could get skewed.
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True, was trying to illustrate a point. That a word does not always convey the emotion or feeling typically associated with it. If I posted "Don't Hate" then the algorithm might choose that thinking it is negative and skew the results.Of course words in images would not count.
Yep i agree just another reason for everyone to hate Facebook even more for doing what some people purely use it for.There's nothing as complicated as that going on here. It's a purely automated process based on very simple rules.
I was thinking they could make someone feel sad and spam them with "Dr Wino's surgical grade alcohol. Takes your worries away"Does anyone see the big picture in all of this? Do you honestly think a company like facebook really cares about the emotional contagion because it can influence peoples happiness or sadness? Or is it about advertising at the end of the day. Two fold experiment where FB lets researches do the ground work, but this method could also be applied to advertising, by syphoning out negative remarks about product.
I was thinking they could make someone feel sad and spam them with "Dr Wino's surgical grade alcohol. Takes your worries away"