Frances Haugen - Facebook’s Algorithm & Teen Mental Health | The Daily Show

[@lmoral222]

Saw part of this last night. Thanks for putting it up here for me to watch the whole thing. Facebook-sober for 7 years, going strong.

[@danmortenson5274]

That's nuttin, dood. I'm TEEVEE-sober... which is great, it makes you ROTpublican-immune...

[@sweetsue4204]

@@danmortenson5274 KZbin is as close as I’ve been to TV for 7 years now. Yes…it is marvelously refreshing to get away from the madness.

[@sweetsue4204]

I hadn’t used my FB page for years before I finally closed it down…on January 6, 2021. It made me sick to my stomach that I’d helped the insurrection in some small way by letting FB continue to make money on my open, but unused page.

[@ruben3305]

FB free since 2018

[@TheSuzberry]

Got sober 6 months ago.

[@christabellendwiga697]

I remember Roy saying this to Trevor during one of the shows. He went like, "Did you know the angry emoji is more valued than a thumbs up?" Didn't understand him till now.

[@thebritons]

care > laugh

[@TSUNAMI17]

You can tell she has a lot more dirt on FB but she's keeping it professional and staying focused on the primary issue. Respect.

[@jasonhammond4301]

We've already known about these issues with the functionality of social media for years and accepted them as a society. We all have loads more "dirt" on Facebook, because the issues are well-known.

[@danamcclelland1538]

Mmmmhhhhh!

[@Cre80s]

Yes, and she knows it will water down her ability to fix the major problem by not looking like she has shallow vendetta against them.

[@jasonhammond4301]

@@Cre80s the actual problem is society not facebook, she can't fix that at all, obviously

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

@@jasonhammond4301 : While we as a society are responsible, the actual problem is conservative-capitalism. Media by it's very nature is already intrinsically sensationalist, but when you add conservative-capitalism to that (or simply said; unregulated capitalism), you have an enterprise that is literally driven to create outrage. Especially where no reason for outrage even exists. Conservative capitalism = profit over people.

[@Maria-EU]

Instagram blocked my account when I shared Amnesty International's post about Frances Haugen claiming I had violated their rules. A company that blocks any criticism of themselves and violates freedom of speech should not exist.

[@jopainting1668]

Yep! I discovered a few years ago that there are links that Instagram and FB won't allow to be posted on their platforms that are specifically about studies and research to the harms of those platforms. The way I found around this was to screenshot the link and post it as an image. Unfortunately that requires someone to be interested enough in to manually enter the URL.

[@morecharacterswithamix9067]

As someone who builds Machine Learning algorithm for a living in a large corporation, I concur with what she says. People have this idea that FB employs thousands of humans that sit there and decide what to show in your feed and how to bias it. There aren't enough people in the world you can hire to do that manually. A machine learning algorithm is at the core of such technologies. The core objective is to increase engagement: likes, shares, reactions, comments, etc. So a ML algorithm can help you do just that to increase engagement. Also AB testing is a critical part to prove if engagement increased with a statistical significance given a new algorithm. Over time FB got excellent at collecting high quality data, building reliable data pipelines, and improving their ML algorithms. I love building and optimizing ML models but FB is a case where the upper management willingly ignored the known terrible side effects.

[@jasonhammond4301]

Society as a whole also has knowingly accepted and ignored the terrible side effects of these social networks.

[@morecharacterswithamix9067]

@@jasonhammond4301 Agreed. I wish social media never existed. World was much simpler and better back then.

[@jasonhammond4301]

@@morecharacterswithamix9067 the one I do enjoy though, is Discord. There's no algorithm because its all user generated and moderated. Some groups are of course poorly moderated, but as there are millions of groups, you can just leave if you wish.

[@iruns1246]

> People have this idea that FB employs thousands of humans that sit there and decide what to show in your feed and how to bias it. They do have "fact checking" teams with humans in it. They also have community guidelines AND people who interpret and apply that, and also make exemptions. It's not all about pure ML. For example they've been known to give lenience over misinformation violations to right-wing sources.

[@02mb]

We need to see a perp walk of said executives. That'll change their tune, wouldn't it? Money doesn't do you right when you're rotting away in a cell.

[@steffnic13]

Gleefully deleted FB a while back when it was clear that it had gone from being a place you could connect with old classmates to being in the thick of an online war zone.

[@jasonhammond4301]

It was that way ever since it gained a large user base. Society has always seeked confrontation over connection.

[@mikeximenez5285]

Unfortunately this isnt an option for those of us who own a business.

[@209cherrypie]

I logged out of social media platforms almost 2 yrs ago . So much anger . So much ridiculousness. I can get ahold of people still without all the BS

[@vermont741]

Deactivated my FB last June 15, 2020. Wanted to permanently delete it, but still need Messenger for friends, family and work Don’t miss FB one bit. Was the best decision I made during the pandemic :-)

[@mlggamer5296]

I'll do you one better I never personally joined Facebook from way back in the 2010s even when my mom was pressuring me to join it

[@mibomperme2510]

This was one if Trevor's best interviews, he asked very reasonable questions and she gave smart and genuine answers.

[@walterwhite1]

Imagine planting your own whistleblower to expose yourself for not censoring enough so you can censor more.

[@delphinecastleberry]

She's so intelligent and interesting. Thanks for taking the chance to impart us with this information.

[@laalaa99stl]

Keep Facebook, but dump the algorithm. And everybody step away from it and engage with it just a little less. Many thanks to this brave lady for bringing Mark's evil to light.

[@donharris8846]

Is it the algorithm OR Mark’s evil? The machine learning behind Facebook simply amplifies the behavior of society. She said that posts that cause anger draws more clicks. The algorithms learn what people (you and I) tend to read, listen to, click on and give it to us. It is very unfortunate that teens are victims in this but I think it’s more society than Zuckerberg to blame. I think it is far easier to point to a villain than to ask “what do I need to change about myself and my community to fix this”

[@jasonhammond4301]

"to light"? You mean you didn't know all this for years like the rest of social media users? It's always been how social media itself works, because people would rather argue then actually enjoy each other.

[@lisettegarcia]

Facebook is a corporation. It cannot put a price on ads without the metrics that factor into the algorithm. The algorithm is just a way to refine the value of ad exposure. So, asking Facebook to get rid of the algorithm is like asking banks to extend loans at one flat interest rate for all borrowers with no relation to what a credit check reveals about each individual's particular likelihood to repay.

[@johnnyarm3181]

Fk FB, let's create a community driven open source social media platform, completely dump FB

[@jasonhammond4301]

@@johnnyarm3181 Discord has been that for I think it's like 5 or 6 years now. Discord even did the stuff Zoom did before Zoom existed, but a whole lot more user friendly than Zoom.

[@m31963]

I really, really enjoyed this conversation! She is so smart and intelligent. Also, as a software engineer, I am very interested in Facebook algorithms on the technical level! They must have really brilliant people there.

[@DemonDarakna]

Such a brilliant and open person. I'm so glad she actually stepped away from FB and went "no, you know what. I'm gonna be on the side of the people. We need to fix it." This is a true hero move. She is Sarah Connor.

[@RajanKannan11]

I loved this conversation. Haugen is very smart & knowledgeable. It’s very scary to know what Facebook is harming this society. Thanks Trevor for this interview.

[@walterwhite1]

Imagine planting your own whistleblower to expose yourself for not censoring enough so you can censor more.

[@RajanKannan11]

@@walterwhite1 move on .

[@walterwhite1]

@@RajanKannan11 its true man

[@thec9424]

There are not many things on this earth more beautiful than watching someone speak of something of which they have intimate knowledge.

[@jasonhammond4301]

Like the other billions of people who have knowingly lived with all of these issues for years.

[@Darkness-ie2yl]

seems like wife material. but thats the old me talking. no problem sabotaging a billionaire, what will she do to you? 😂

[@LE-te9vx]

This was such an important interview, thank you Frances for speaking about the issue so clearly, and thank you Trevor for having her on!

[@lindaelarde2692]

Trevor is a black belt master interviewer. His questions are so intelligent and perceptive and his responses demonstrate his nuanced interpretation of the information. Great guests as well.

[@lenmessi27]

Just stay away from Facebook,I meet my friends once a week to eat ,chat and drink. Keep that as a healthy habit,it's called having a social circle,no algorithm telling you what to do,period.

[@vermont741]

Ditto!

[@estherkibui5177]

Exactly. Before Facebook and cellphones people still communicated effectively. If you needed to communicate with someone you would find a way. And your brain performed its functions. F Facebook

[@lenmessi27]

@@estherkibui5177 well said

[@phyuphyu7332]

I am from myanmar.So thank so much social media for known about all the world what an happening in myanmar.

[@CaliberDawn]

Yes. I love how she is enforcing transparency, I feel like it always comes down to that!

[@chey_mz]

Her speaking out is so important, we don’t aprreciate the magnitude of what she‘s saying. I hope for us that will change. It‘s f*** messed up. Facebook/„Meta“/Mark Zuckerberg has to be held accountable.

[@kraekennedy]

Thank you, excellent information! Thank you Trevor for listening and trying to understand.

[@ChrisAlbertH47]

Bless people like Frances.

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

I want to know what exactly FB was desperate to hide that for the first time they completely took the site down (for what was it, almost 2 days?) immediately after she told us all what was going on there.

[@Cruelty-Torture]

Servers got scrubbed clean or destroyed n data was "lost". We will likely never know :/

[@shannalee2520]

In theory, Chan Zuck paid Haugen, to release "hidden" info they wanted released. She is a plant. They have so much worse in process, than anything she, "whistleblew."

[@ChristinaTaft]

She proves the emphasis on dislikes/disagreeing that I noticed from observation! Thank you Frances… They need to protect people.

[@margue06]

I'm so glad she exposed FB. Too many people have been hurt by misinformation on FB.

[@MusicfromMarrs]

From Iowa - come back; we need more like you, Frances!

[@MusicfromMarrs]

@@Stevie-J hah! Cornhuskers is the I. Nebraska mascot. If Frances went to U Iowa, it’s that husky eagle thing. If she went to ISU, it’s the cyclones.

[@n3rdstrength]

The lighting is so pleasing on this set, nice job.

[@ASMinor]

I am an avid #MentalHealthAwareness advocate and spoken word performer, and I love this so much. I travel the country trying to bring that awareness on stages, in classrooms, hospitals, and on my KZbin channel, so I get excited when I see other advocates. 💙❤

[@sergiosanchezpadilla6941]

Facebook went as far as deleting the button that used to let me see only posts from my friends. Now, it's spoon feeding me posts from pages and groups that I am not even a member of! It's disgusting. I just wanna see what my friends have been up to; but no, I keep getting all these posts from all these pages that I don't care about.

[@sam_6447]

This was a very illuminating interview. Trevor is really doing gods work putting these conversations out there. Thanks Francis for being so bold for the sake of humanity! You’re a real life hero!

[@mrscarter6279]

I have a Facebook account but I’m hardly ever on it - at this point I only use it to share updates with close friends and family - grandparents and aunts and uncles (that sort of thing) Outside of that, for me at least, the rest of it is just a hot mess.

[@leticiachiok8057]

Parents should watch this video, be informed and impart this as a conversation piece esp. if they have children who are teenagers, particularly at their early teens. FB does not really care about teen mental health.

[@zekealexander4382]

Teens don't use Facebook, "it's for old people." But Facebook controls other forms of social media which they do use.

[@leslieshaw1421]

Thank you for diving deep on these important issues.

[@dlifedt]

One of the most important conversations. We can have it outside Washington, and they won't even know.

[@bernard1799]

Stopped using Facebook back in early 2017 and I'm glad I did.

[@bluelotus.society]

What an incredible interview! Thank you!!

[@MuesliMacho]

Thanks Frances & Trevor. I hope that far more people in the near future will understand the mechanics of Facebook‘s and all other social media algorithms. Also great takeaway that wording-wise developers switched from AI to ML. Makes far more senses in it‘s essential meaning.

[@ShawnRavenfire]

Remember the Star Trek episode "Day of the Dove?" An alien entity feeds on anger and violence, so it manipulates the Enterprise crew and the Klingons into a perpetual war. (Obviously, the episode was an allegory for the military industrial complex at the time, but it could just as easily be about social media today.)

[@binkwillans5138]

The problem with this is the implication that humans exist by anger and violence alone, like rival tribes. Surely our aim now is to share, to collaborate and to feel empathy? Is it not our duty to make Facebook what we WANT it to be? Does it not empower us if we wish it?

[@oscidleus]

Great interview. Great guest

[@vanessacalderilla4107]

Thank you so much . Left Facebook 9 years ago . I have no social media. Saw this coming a decade ago. So sad whats it doing to peoples mental health especially kids.

[@ryankelsey5847]

I really love that Trevor has people from all walks, I think thisis his distinguishing value. He has cordial discussion with Rep, Dems and all types. Its great to see people talk about things openly.

[@kali4niadazed]

Thank You Frances~!!

[@lauraholzler1417]

Thank you. I will start clicking differently after seeing this. I will start liking the thoughtful posts now.

[@christianm7294]

Very intelligent woman and communication skills off the charts.

[@GingerGingie]

I like these longer interviews.

[@marthawolde2324]

Thanks Frances and Trevor!

[@HeatherKMB]

What a lovely intelligent woman with such courage and ethical integrity. Thank you

[@dwaingibbs93]

This is great!! Love so much how a video talking about having different opinions and being able to have dialog keeps deleting my comments every 18 seconds. Love it so much! ❤️

[@Positive_Pepper]

This was a great interview. Commenting for the algorithm

[@Adrian13rams]

Thank you for all the information on this easily complicated and confusing issue (at least to.ones who isnt technology saavy like me) ❤❤

[@yheri4750]

We need people like her a lot.

[@IBreakTheNews]

Protect your brain. Cancel Social Media before Social Media cancels you. This is a serious issue. As an adult, I realize that. Teenagers don't.

[@faraichivunga6656]

Thank you for this

[@myrafinch5769]

Absolutely fascinating 👏 ! Thank you 😊

[@johnhernandez842]

You have the best information out there.

[@debbiea.pierce4107]

Thanks for this interview . I will look for more information about Facebook. Sincerely, Debbie and

[@debbiea.pierce4107]

My family 👪 again, Debbie Pierce

[@divinecode369]

thank you!

[@barbaracasler1858]

Great interview, once again!

[@ELEMENTARYWATSON52]

An amazing interview. Thank you for Truth!!

[@johnsmith9903]

You should include a link to her page in the description.

[@randylaytonorangeboy]

13 year olds should not be on social media to begin with. I did not join fb until I was 17. The age restrictions should be bumped up to 16 to join any social platforms.

[@susanfritzel4055]

Tell that to a 13 year old….the cat is out of the bag

[@dreaminginjapan]

They’ll just lie about their age 😅 which is what most of us did when we were younger

[@redplanet9162]

I'm just gonna try avoiding giving my kid a phone till he's 15 😆

[@susanfritzel4055]

@@redplanet9162 how old is your kid now?

[@HmmmYeahRiiiiiight]

humanity's downfall is social media and reality tv

[@backstabingpike]

People give a person power 😉 just stop watching, playing, etc we can do it together ✊✊✊✊

[@ninadylan4649]

@11:19 that right there sums it all up!

[@janellemccoy09]

Throughout my time with Facebook I definitely noticed all these things they talked about. Even back in 2008-09 when is military started using it. The rules of what to post seemed to change with check ins. Now everyone always knows where you are, but that's dangerous for some adventures.

[@tumisomarebane2536]

Incredible.

[@homemail9653]

great guest that Trevor brought in.

[@lacidawson]

Let your kids play locally. (AKA go outside & meet real people to have real conversations this will allow them to develop coping mechanisms. Which in turn will allow them to converse...not just spew words). I quit FB years ago & I've never been happier.

[@suzer77539]

Always interesting!!

[@corynardin]

As a parent I am unclear how to navigate social media with my kids.

[@binkwillans5138]

Exactly.

[@Cre80s]

Y'all report all these spam ad phony replies. Just click the report thing and choose "spam ad." Done. It's a pain, but it at least helps.

[@IBreakTheNews]

It's like pouring oil into the fire - for profit. Unregulated but highly profitable. Time to hold the company board accountable. Actually that is long overdue.

[@amjay154]

I love how she is talking with her Hands.

[@leonardmcdonald3928]

What they're saying doesn't make sense. Why wouldn't we get rid of these social media sites? If all of the misinformation comes from the algorithm on these sites, then aren't the sites the problem. Because the sites are the algorithm, make no mistake about that. And if the algorithm is designed to garner engagement, and hostility and anger produce the most engagement then isn't the obvious answer to get rid of the algorithm, and by extension the sites.

[@binkwillans5138]

Increased communication is our destiny. The answer is to develop legislation to prosecute those who spread dis and misinformation. For example COVID-related issues would earn 12 to 36 months low-security prison and some related costs.

[@zacharydavis4398]

Love the implied complete pass for Google/Apple by Trevor/etc lol

[@MenTaLLyMenTaL]

Seriously, that's just dumb. It shows their hypocrisy. It's just become cool & profitable to hate on Facebook by making it a scapegoat. And the public is getting fooled.

[@atschauzhou9043]

A very bright young woman

[@henokemolla8204]

She is 100% right!!!

[@BleezyD]

Honestly one of the biggest social media topics of the decade. she's so professional and easy to understand.

[@menzimthembu8705]

Why do we label people that stand for ethics as whistleblowers?

[@iykedanielsiyke6152]

Now for this episode... I can say I love you keep doing the truth

[@sinclairtomas]

Great show. But the volumen is too low. Please do something about it

[@binkwillans5138]

ok, fixed: "volumen" is now corrected as "volume".

[@shacktime]

Big Tech companies use the same advertising and marketing firms as the NRA, tobacco and alcohol companies, the Trump campaign... You get the picture. What also needs to change are shareholder laws. They allow the shareholder class to control nearly every aspect of the economy and society.

[@redplanet9162]

Exactly! Big biz can Always give us the "but our shareholders..." pretext for greed.

[@shacktime]

@@redplanet9162 They use that excuse all the time.

[@GeckoHiker]

Citizens United was also one of the biggest social lies. That was the when "We the people" became "we the corporations".

[@CyScorpion]

How about a Character Report?

[@shortmocha2005]

That was great!

[@mlggamer5296]

But you know even before Miss Frances Haugen call them out on it I just had a bad feeling about Facebook like there's a reason I never joined the site or social media so what she did is just confirm my suspicions

[@alekiny]

i want a book!

[@desireeespinosa3954]

I think it doesn’t stop at 14 honestly… but that’s when children stop telling adults the whole truth because they have had negative consequences for being honest and open

[@claramitchell746]

This is awesome information! The echo chamber theory!!!

[@charliebozzo9948]

The pen is mightier than the sword! Social media represents a whole lot of folks publishing w/o editors. Kind of what the world looks like when everyone is armed.

[@binkwillans5138]

what are you talking about?

[@GeckoHiker]

This is brilliant. Publishing without editors and carrying without a safety course or two. It's also a bit like road rage, a phenomenon that accompanies our belief that we are anonymous in our vehicles. Of course we aren't but it explains why a sweet little old lady will flip off other drivers when she wouldn't ever do that in church. Some people believe they are anonymous online so anything goes. My dad schooled me well on staying calm while driving, thinking twice about what I want to say, and the importance of practicing safety. Hence, no social media and no television and no ads.

[@annapeterson803]

If you divided them and make them fight each other, they won't fight you? Love back to the live interviews!

[@robcontreras1873]

His last point, "money", immediately took me to the ethics side of money. I wish businesses would take responsibility to make adjustments when their way of generating revenue knowingly harms others. It just isn't that way, though, and I don't know that it ever will be.

[@sunnyiii9970]

this is great

[@a.wilgrubs7476]

What you focus on expands...

[@cjknuckles7876]

Is this video quiet af for anyone else? I can barely hear them

[@francischang]

I feel like a lot of the problems she highlights are problems in traditional media too, not just social media.

[@jasonhammond4301]

Exactly, its issues with society, not Facebook

[@MenTaLLyMenTaL]

Exactly.. And all the media continuously disses Facebook because they lost their ad revenue to Facebook's superior advertising platform.

[@br00talbr00skeez]

Knew facebook was being used for many crimes, by many criminals. They make it addictive to the average person too.

[@kayannaottaway3381]

You can watch the entire hearing she had with congress on PBS

[@janelwilliams9144]

Oh great, thanks!

[@serta5727]

Awesome! I am not using Facebook

[@noreenconstantine4612]

Facebook is the natural extension of television All can be limited by parents But if the parents are on it for hours a day, and demonstrate that to them superficial acceptance is important, they are thus teaching their kids that Whether they get bullied in school or feel less attractive than other kids on Facebook, they have to be taught that it's not what counts in life

[@redplanet9162]

I'm just really using fb less and less all the time. I've never really engaged too much in online arguments to begin with, and now I don't even comment when I agree with people. Because so what. It's just my opinion. Blah blah. Don't feel like adding to my data for big tech to mine

[@demonatemu]

idk why daily show videos are sometimes really quiet compared to other yt videos