You might have heard that there is a big birthday this week. Tomorrow, we mark two decades with a digital behemoth all but running our lives—20 years, for better and certainly for worse, with one of the world's biggest social forces. Facebook's presence is so persistent, so consistent, that marking its 20th anniversary feels almost unnecessary. What else is there to say that hasn't already been said? There are umpteen articles, podcasts, and documentaries exploring Facebook's role in everything from digital surveillance and data tracking to child sex abuse, behavior modification, and fake news. That's why Classics is taking you back to something that has already been said, something to make you think about how that little blue thumbs-up has impacted your own life over the years.
About a decade ago, tech writer Mat Honan embarked on a less-than-scientific experiment on his personal Facebook account. Five years into the creation of the "like" button and two years before the addition of "heart" and "dislike," Honan, who is now editor in chief at MIT Technology Review, decided he would like everything the Facebook algorithm presented to him. This resulted in an article published in WIRED in August of 2014: "I Liked Everything I Saw on Facebook for Two Days. Here's What It Did to Me." The center of the test was the site's algorithm—Honan wanted to see how his News Feed would change in response to all his liking. The experiment was short-lived. Thanks to an onslaught of extremist content and brand messaging, he could handle what had become a "temple of provocation" for only 48 hours.
Since reading Honan's piece, I've been thinking about how all the thousands of like buttons I've tapped over the years have impacted my experiences, interests, and most frighteningly, my opinions. Some things I'm grateful for. For instance, my local Buy Nothing group, while held online, has made my very real neighborhood feel closer. I'm interested in hearing about your relationship with Facebook. Has it changed over the years? Has it brought something positive into your life—or are there corners of the site you wish you weren't in? Share your thoughts at the bottom of Honan's piece, or send an email to me at samantha_spengler@wired.com.
Until next week,
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