SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Is Facebook dividing people or bringing them together?

Feb 21, 2017, 6:33 PM | Updated: 6:34 pm

Facebook...

Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook as a social media platform to bring people together. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix, File)

(AP Photo/Esteban Felix, File)

The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, was recently interviewed by Wired magazine. In the piece, Zuckerberg talked about how Facebook is dividing people when his original intent was to bring people together.

Related: Are advances in tech always a good thing?

Now, Zuckerberg is a technology and business genius. That is undeniable. In our society, we want to think that people who have brilliance in one area are brilliant in every area. But hardly anyone can be brilliant on multiple levels.

Zuckerberg was asked if he thought the election had changed people’s perception of Facebook. He wasn’t really able to answer the question. And this is so true of technology people.

They do not understand that there is no technology in politics that is not used to divide. There is no technology in politics that is not designed to set one group off against another. There are no positive uses for technology in politics.

The simple solution would be to let people opt in to a “no politics” block. It would be a simple algorithm to write. But that would eat into the social media company’s model.

They could also stop taking political ads.

Zuckerberg needs to realize he built a weapon. And that this has become a feelings war.

As always, please listen to the full audio clip for complete context.

Please follow our Community Guidelines

A sign encourages voters to reject a proposal to change how Kanas Supreme Court justices are seated...

Associated Press

Republicans want voters to elect Kansas Supreme Court justices and move court to the right

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas voters will decide Tuesday whether to elect state Supreme Court justices rather than have the governor appoint them, a push from conservatives who have chafed for years over court decisions they disagreed with on issues such as abortion, school funding and the death penalty. If the constitutional amendment passes, supporters […]

38 minutes ago

A WestJet Boeing 737 Max aircraft takes off from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, Briti...

Associated Press

Flight attendants at Canada’s WestJet go on strike in dispute over pay

NEW YORK (AP) — Flight attendants with WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, went on strike Sunday in a dispute over pay. The Canadian Union of Public Employees represents the 4,400 cabin crew at the airline. It announced the strike on its Facebook page but did not provide further details. The company had canceled more than 300 […]

2 hours ago

People watch Old Trails Fire from W. Northwest Blvd., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Spokane, Wash. (AP...

Associated Press

Wind-driven wildfire prompts evacuations in eastern Washington

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A fast-moving wildfire driven by strong winds and high temperatures swept across northwest Spokane on Saturday before jumping the Spokane River and prompting the evacuation of thousands of people. The Old Trails Fire started around noon, burning brush and grass in an open area, but quickly spread north and east toward […]

8 hours ago

President Donald Trump, center, walks from Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morrist...

Associated Press

Saudi crown prince urges Trump not to escalate Iran war as US leader weighs new strikes: AP source

WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader, in a phone call with President Donald Trump on Saturday raised concerns about the U.S. potentially escalating the conflict with Iran, according to a person familiar with the leaders’ discussion. The discussion, which was first reported on by Axios, comes as […]

9 hours ago

shooting Idaho In-N-Out burger...

REBECCA BOONE AND MARTHA BELLISLE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Multiple people dead after shooting at fast food restaurant in southern Idaho

A shooting at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in southern Idaho on Saturday afternoon left multiple people dead and others injured, police said.

10 hours ago

Associated Press

Multiple people injured in southern Idaho shooting

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — A shooting near a southern Idah shopping center left multiple people injured Saturday afternoon, authorities reported. Twin Falls County Commissioner Brent Reinke said Sheriff Jack Johnson told him five people were hurt in the shooting, which started at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant. While there were no immediate confirmations of deaths […]

11 hours ago

Is Facebook dividing people or bringing them together?