Name:   Talullahhound - Subject:   Social media in the crosshairs Date:   10/6/2021 11:44:42 AM

I'm a Facebook user to keep up with friends.  When I don't want to see something, I don't click or like it.  This idea that social media is supposed to keep us "safe" is ridiculous.  I am also a FB share holder and I've made a lot of money off of it.  FB is just like this forum, you read some thing you may agree with, you read some things you don't agree with, but you get to make up your own mind.  In addition to their algorithm, they need to be able to put human eyes on pages that are questionable in promoting hate or giving a platform to those groups that sow hate - but even if social media disappeared, these groups would find other ways.  But they don't "make" you do anything, they don't make you believe just on the basis of seeing their message.  

Parents have a responsibility for monitoring their children's social media useage.  They also have a responsibility to raise their kids with values that won't be shaken by things they read on social media.  Bullying is a problem, but that is a problem whether there is social media or not.  As far as promoting bad feelings among preteen and teenage girls about their weight or other issue, it is a parents job to help them overcome these things and not take them so seriously.  

FB is a business and advertisers, and a lot of small businesses use it as their platform to reach people.  I'll bet their are a number of members of Congress who bought FB cheap and have seen great growth.  

The one they really need to go after is the Chinese Tik-Tock, which is very popular with kids - and promotes ridiculous and often harmful challenges as well as other questionable content.

While I believe the whistleblower means well, she is part of that segement of society that would take away our choices.