Like many of you, we sat for 90 mins shocked and ill-prepared for what we witnessed in The Social Dilemma, a Netflix documentary that explores the addiction and privacy breaches of social media. Was this ”addictive and creepy” industry really the profession we’d chosen to work in? On a personal level, how had we let ourselves become ”products”? We found ourselves in a dilemma! But, there are two sides to every story and while we firmly believe fundamental change needs to be addressed by Facebook, it’s worth considering some of their benefits before deleting your account.
Facebook has for some time suffered a trust deficit, and this documentary will have done little to help reassure its users. People share so much of their lives on the platform and no one likes to feel like they are being exploited. But despite all the “terrible” that Facebook has created in society, there are examples of how it has helped. As many as 70% of advertisers on Facebook are small businesses. These are not companies with deep pockets or who have any desire to exploit you. I find myself thinking of all the startups for which we have launched advertising campaigns – the moms, doctors, teachers – all of whom have taken the giant leap to become entrepreneurs, launching products that fulfill a need and genuinely help people. We can’t turn away from the toy that calms anxious children or the revolutionary underwear that helps women who experience embarrassing leaks. I also think about the non-profits who, through the use of stories, images and videos, entered this space to share their message. They seek to educate so that the right person knows where to find help when they need it, and to motivate to inspire people to donate to a worthy cause. Social media has been good for non-profits. None of these businesses could have thrived without social media advertising. Its cost, its reach and its precision targeting have kept all these organizations going. Fact Check: True!
To listen to only one side of the argument would be something that Facebook itself is criticized for…. sending biased news that matches your preformed opinions. We are by no means naïve to Facebook’s dark chapters, but it’s one of the most impactful social media platforms for small businesses and it’s vital to helping them remain in business. We wholeheartedly agree that a more sensitive approach to digital advertising is required, and we as a digital agency will continue to strive to be authentic, respectful and connected to our clients and their customer’s needs. Thanks to The Social Dilemma for initiating the discussion (even within our own team). This is indeed a dilemma and by opening it up for debate we will surely address the elephant in the room.