Tech

Author Of New Book ‘Zucked’ Says Facebook Benefits From Making People ‘Angry’ And ‘Afraid’

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Nick Givas Media And Politics Reporter
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Roger McNamee, author of the new book “Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe,” appeared on “Fox & Friends” Thursday and said the company profits from making people “angry” and “afraid.”

“Here’s the really important thing, to recognize that it’s going on is the first step, and to recognize that you do not need to give them as much attention as you give them today,” he said.

“Listen, I was as addicted as anybody. I love these products, and I was deeply involved, and I still like using Facebook. The problem is their business is helped by getting me angry. It’s by making me afraid or teasing me with rewards, with buttons and stuff. You just — you want to reduce what you’re doing there and find other ways to organize your groups.”

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McNamee said people should get back to human interaction as opposed to relying on technological connectivity through Facebook. He also said companies like Facebook and Google should be held financially accountable for any damages they might cause.

“Meet with people. Let’s get together and be human beings again — not let technology moderate everything,” he said. (RELATED: Facebook Ditches Performance Bonuses To Reward Those Who Focus On ‘Social Issues’)

“Think about this the way you would think about chemical companies, right? If you create a chemical spill, you’re required to clean it up. And I just think that Facebook and Google need to be required to pay the cost of whatever damage they create.”

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