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Shaun King’s Current Debacle Convinced Me Not to Delete Facebook and Instagram
Facebook is a sleazy company being run by sleazy people. That’s become crystal clear. I’ve never been a fan. It was clear to me from the beginning that they’d leverage the data we provided unscrupulously. Our personal information and details of our habits are their most valuable resource. So, why did I join? For the same reason everyone else did. It became the simplest way to keep up with friends and family all over the world. I’ve never been particularly good at maintaining long-distance relationships, so it wasn’t as useful to me as it was to others. Nevertheless, I’ve kept my derelict personal account, because I know those connections are there, should I ever need to reach out.
I don’t remember the last time I posted to my private personal Facebook page. It’s been well over a year, maybe more than two. I have a public page where I share my writing, but I rarely publicize it or solicit followers. My Instagram (which is owned by Facebook) doesn’t have any pictures of me or my life — it’s all graphics sharing my writing. I have only around 100 followers. So, why don’t I just push the button and get rid of it all?
TL;DR: I’m in the receipts game now.
Social media posts are important primary documents. Many prominent people share their points of view with the…