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Today (18 February 2018) the The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the British Parliament published its final report on Disinformation and ‘fake news’.

The report lays bare horrifying abuses by Facebook and other so-called ‘Social Media’ outlets.

The scale of the report – it drew from 170 written submissions and evidence from 73 witnesses who were asked more than 4,350 questions – is without precedent. And it’s what contributes to making its conclusions so damning.

‘Facebook is an out-of-control train wreck that is destroying democracy and must be brought under control. Facebook behaves like a “digital gangster”. It considers itself to be “ahead of and beyond the law”. It “misled” parliament. It gave statements that were “not true”...Continue to read

‘Death threats, bullying, mental torture, privacy invasion, election rigging, fake news, monopoly abuse: as was said of a medieval pope, this is merely to suppress more serious charges. It is hard to recall the social media of 15 years ago and its offer of universal love, democracy and global peace.’...Continue to read

Yes, it is true, some of us knew all these all along. Yes, we knew that:

 

Photo:blog.rootshell.be

My view on Facebook: the arrogance of power of control and unaccountability, creating a culture of envy, jealousy, inadequacy, virtual reality & friendship, loneliness, anxiety, fear and depression

Yes, it is true, some of us knew these all along years ago and did not keep quiet either. This is what I wrote in 2012, seven years ago:

“The other day, I “Successfully” deactivated my Facebook account. I say “Successfully”, because Facebook does not make it easy to say goodbye, even though I was just trying a short-term separation and not a divorce! At least for now. {Since then, I have now permanently deleted myself from Facebook}

You know, given human weaknesses to addiction, that is any form of addiction, I thought I was watching me and watching you to see if you were watching me, a bit too much: Watching who likes or unlike whatever I post there. As if one click here or there is enough for me to know how good or bad I am doing!

My mind was going “digital” and I was becoming “virtual”: And I said to myself, Hey Kamran, watch where you are going man!

I thought I needed a time out, a time for some reflection and soul-searching. I do not know if you, too, are facing the same or not.”…Continue to read

And also see:

Good on you Ms. Essena O'Neill: Social media 'is not real life'   

"How can we see ourselves and our true purpose/talents if we are constantly viewing others?"… "Many of us are in so deep we don't realize [social media's] delusional powers and the impact it has on our lives." Continue to read

Has loneliness become the new normal?   

Virtual Connecting in the Digital Age

‘In the past few weeks I have posted three Blogs which, to some extent, as it happens, are very much interrelated: Each one, reinforcing the one before it. The first Blog was Loneliness in Modern Britain and this was followed by What is this life if…? And finally A Plea to address Global Youth Depression.

In these Blogs, I have highlighted the damaging consequences of our “digital”, “virtual” modern life: Virtual friends and friendship, virtual forums, virtual gatherings and get-togethers. In all, the emptiness of this virtual life that many millions are leading, when, the only engagement, conversation and dialogue they have is with their virtual friends on their smartphones, tablets, notebooks, Facebook,…etc.’...Continue to read

So, here you have it!

Get off the so-called ‘Social Media’. Help to stop the horrifying abuses, that has made these guys billionaires many times over at your cost! Carpe Diem!