Fine, regulate this ‘pusher’
Re “Facebook’s ‘Big Tobacco moment,’ ” Oct. 6
Former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen’s revealing congressional testimony about how the company knew what it was doing to manipulate people’s “addiction” to the site has led me to greater understanding of how we might deal with this problem.
If people are rewarded with a dopamine surge when they read something they like on Facebook, the brain develops a tolerance. In order to continue to feel that pleasure, you must have more and more intense doses. That seems to explain why Facebook’s algorithms keep upping the ante with what you see.
Helping people break free of this addiction is hard, but we have the tools to help. There are six stages of recovery: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance or relapse, and termination. Addiction treatment specialists are skilled in helping people move through these stages.
Our country knows how to hold the “pusher” responsible. Purdue Pharma, the tobacco industry and the alcohol industry have all been held accountable. Facebook must be held responsible, fined and regulated.
Carole Lutness
Valencia
The writer is a retired licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor.
Should I be shocked to learn that Facebook’s leadership has put astronomical profits before people? Wouldn’t I expect that kind of behavior from Big Oil, the airlines or drug companies?
While I have no doubt that Facebook and its associate platforms spread division and misinformation, I have to wonder who’s ultimately the responsible party. An individual smoker bears as much responsibility for developing emphysema as Philip Morris. Likewise, as much as I’d like to do otherwise, I can’t very well blame Jack, Ronald and the colonel for being 20 pounds overweight.
I doubt very much that an act of Congress is going to remedy this situation.
David Sheehan
Redlands
Haugen spoke truth to power, pulling back the curtain for the common good without consideration of her own well-being. She joins so many others — Fiona Hill and Alexander Vindman, for example — who are called whistleblowers, a term that sadly has negative connotations.
From this day forth, any brave truth teller should be called a “person of conscience,” because that is exactly what they are.
Ellen Seiden
Manhattan Beach