It’s no longer a question of surprise that Facebook and the Google giant are working separately on profits but together on making the World Wide Web the new Big Brother of our era. They both know who we are, what we do and where we want to go from there, based on the very information we willingly offer them for free.
Facebook is watching you now more attentively than it previously, by taking into account the amount of time someone spends reading an article. Now they don’t only know what you like and what is the type of content that makes you react and comment, they will also know how long a certain theme, article or post challenges your interest. So regardless of the likes and comments that may or may not appear from you, they will know the degree of commitment and interest from your part by calculating how much you spend on a certain post, article or news update.
They say that this is a way to better measure your interests and your inclination towards certain kinds of news but this is rather a media strategy that will help them get more money from targeted advertising. By knowing exactly what tingles your brain and dilates your pupils with enthusiasm or appalment, they will better understand how to monetize it.
The feature is already rolling out and will continue to do so over the next period of time, so you can actually experience for yourself the new Facebook update and consider if it really works on your best interest.
The new algorithm will work not only to highlight what you like, but to discover and eventually hide what you don’t like. Fast scrolling across a certain type of content will be a direct sign for lack of interest on a particular topic.
In the past, they were able to do that provided users were actively participating with likes, comments and shares. Now, the only thing you must do is spend time on Facebook like you used to, because they will be aware of the destinations your eyes are concentrating on and the themes you’re drawn on.
As scary as it sounds, this is the world we’re making and most of us just go on with taking things as they are and letting robots that work with algorithms dictate what we must see.
Image Source: pnosker.com
