Facebook is my addiction when it comes to social media. I am on it daily, and it is not really to see anything specific, but more as a tool when I am bored to pass the time. Anytime I am bored I find myself wandering to my Facebook page to see what my friends are doing, read about people's daily lives, etc. These are the things I see on a daily basis when I log in to Facebook. Generally, when I am on Facebook I am on my IPhone so I don't see as much as I do when I log in to my computer. I've always viewed Facebook as a social network where you keep up with friends and family through the news feed. I can't even say when the last time I logged in with my actual computer was. So today I decided to log on and see if I saw a different view of Facebook than what I normally see.
When I log in on the laptop it is like I'm viewing a whole other world. On the right are the crazy amount of games that are supposedly popular right now. What caught my eye on the right was the section with videos that say sponsors. This caught my attention because I have never noticed it before. I know Facebook is ran by people but generally I only pay attention to the people I am friends with and what they post. I've never thought of Facebook as a source of advertisement for large companies. As I clicked on the sponsors page there is an add for a college of nursing, how workouts help burn fat, the newest TV show to watch and the best movies coming out and the list goes on.
This made me think. Is the Pediatric Dentistry of Central Ohio really the best place to go. Their add says they offer pleasant visits and always with a smile. Do they really always offer this kind of service? Do they always have happy children leaving as their add suggests? Maybe they do but it doesn't change the fact that there is no way to know. All that I really know is that they are being advertised by Facebook for a reason. Nobody advertises for free. Plus, if you think about it Facebook is the perfect place to advertise, millions upon millions of people view it everyday and if they are as loyal to the site as I am then they probably believe the advertisements and recommendations put forth by the site. I would probably at least look up the Dentist if I had a child that needed dental work. Just as I would look at the delicious looking meal that is so easy to prepare according to the picture. The fact of the matter is, are these really the best places to go or have they paid their way on to the site?
Honestly, I believe some sites are reliable for obtaining credible information. I've found very credible information on CNN, Time Magazine, The Columbus Dispatch, etc. These are all sites that have good credibility and generally the information is reliable, if the information changes they are some of the first to let you know. That is an attempt on their part to provide credible information to the people. Do I believe Facebook, Twitter, and Instragram are credible, no I don't. I enjoy them as much as the next person but I wouldn't go there when looking for breaking news or resources.
The part that I find eerie, Misty is how adroit these sites are at finding out your "real" information. I still haven't quite figured out how all that works. But, I know when I was shopping grad schools all of a sudden a lot of those Facebook sponsored ads were for different colleges. And, those ads also seem pretty familiar with my family dynamic and political inclinations, even the sort of things I online shop for.
ReplyDeleteBeth,
ReplyDeleteIn some ways I find it a positive that the website can link you to schools or any other things that you may like purely based on what you have already said you like. On the other hand it is kind of uncomfortable when you are reading through to know that a website can know so much about you and actually influence important decisions in your life. Thanks for the comment.
I too think its eerie how ads on Facebook center around the users interest. I'm not sure how Facebook does it, but I believe it has something to do with the internet's code.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, Misty. From all the posts I have seen so far, yours is the only one that focuses on ads. Being able to consume ads critically is an essential part of our media literacy education. I applaud you for that.
ReplyDeleteThere are some questions that spring up from your post. For instance, did you try to find more information about the Pediatric Dentistry of Central Ohio? If you did, how did you go about it? If you didn't, where would you go to research them?
Also, how did you come to the conclusion that CNN, Time, etc are credible sources? What criteria did you use?
Finally, I think we need to differentiate between Facebook as a medium, and the information we might receive from our Facebook contacts. Facebook is not producing the information we receive in our Timelines.