Dear Facebook,
Wow.. this is awkward. Where should I begin?
Should I start with how inspired me and my buddies were when we saw “The Social Network” for the first time? On how we felt that “we the next generation” was changing the world, that everyone of us can have part of that pie of “impacting the world”?
Or should I start with hours I used to spend with you, cribbing about things, laughing about things, talking about books I like, movies I like, hours spent on stalking people(awkward!)?
I used to love you those days. Can’t keep myself from looking at your Mobile avatar every now and then, in an eagerness to see who accepted my friend requests, who commented on my latest pictures! You were like my university cafeteria, no matter what the rules are, I just loved to hang around.
Of everything that you could possibly give me, you know what’s the best? It’s that inspiration that every awkward scrawny little kid like me can start something and make it big. It’s the heavenly dreams that I used to have, that one day, may be, just may be, I can build something as big as you have become.
We blame people for everything. For not choosing the right government, for not choosing the right relationships, blah blah. People might not know what they want, but when they see it, they just grab it. And that’s what happened in your case too. Everybody wanted you, everybody wanted to be on Facebook. Such a cool time!
I won’t ask what happened to you. Because that’s what happens to many “Davids” who slay the Goliath but then become Goliaths, themselves. I understand. I can get that making money was more important than everyone who made you. Every tom, dick and big organization has already done this to us. Every big politician has done this to us. So this is not new to us, you know.
I am an optimist. I like to see “things half full”. But you know what pains me in this whole “Cambridge Analytica” thing? You stood for dreams and inspiration and “anyone can do it” attitude. You stood for thousands of teens who thought they can impact the world like you did.
Now all you stand is for cheating and corporate greed and stupidity.
So when the next bright kid tries to “change” the world, well, at least for now the world will get reminded of all the scandals, all the behavioral hacks, all the greed, that you now stand for.
Thank you Facebook, for screwing it up for the rest of us.
Thanks a lot.
