Meta Matters: The True Mark Zuckerberg and the Upcoming Slop Era

Unmasking the True Meta

Once upon a time, Mark Zuckerberg and his company Meta, then known as Facebook, enjoyed a glimmer of optimism. Media outlets showered him with praise for his "expansionary view of the future." Yet, behind the golden chains and swagger of a Roman emperor, Meta's internal transformation was much less glamorous.

As revealed in a series of leaked documents, Meta's growth-at-all-costs approach has had detrimental consequences for its products. In 2023, Facebook's internal guidelines allowed users to say that trans identities were a mental illness. Casey Newton, a journalist who has previously criticized Meta, has documented these horrors, revealing that even Alex Schultz, Meta's gay CMO, suggested that witnessing LGBT+ abuse on Meta's platforms could lead to increased support for LGBTQ rights.

This is the vision that Zuckerberg embraces: an unfiltered, toxic, and heteronormative social network untethered by ethical concerns. As one observer sarcastically remarked, Zuckerberg can now do whatever he wants, unlike his previous experiences of facing "a series of punishments."

The Slow Decline of Meta's Products

Despite persistent media fanfare, Meta has been undermining its own platforms for years, prioritizing growth over user experience. The company's gradual but aggressive decisions, such as hiding notifications and promoting clickbait, have deteriorated the core elements of Facebook and Instagram.

Furthermore, evidence suggests that Meta has been exploiting its users by promoting conservative content. A 2020 study revealed that the most popular Facebook media outlets were Breitbart and Fox News, while both Facebook page engagements and website views heavily favored conservative sources.

In 2021, Meta admitted to altering its news algorithm, giving an unfair advantage to right-leaning news pages using "sensational and divisive content." The following year, Media Matters reported that conservatives consistently earned more total interactions on Meta platforms than liberal or non-aligned pages.

Meta's blatant disregard for user safety is also evident in its inaction against anti-trans hate content. The company has justified this inaction by claiming that such content does not violate its community standards or by simply ignoring reports.

Casey Newton's Complicity

Unfortunately, the media, particularly Casey Newton of Platformer, has contributed to Meta's unaccountability. Newton has repeatedly turned a blind eye to Meta's shortcomings, praising its "expansive view of the future" and downplaying the company's negative impact on users.

In his responses to those criticizing AI, Newton has shown a troubling bias. He has sought to discredit critics, such as independent critic Gary Marcus, by haphazardly linking their work to skepticism of OpenAI's profit motive.

Newton's past coverage of Facebook's "Facebook Papers" scandal is particularly troubling. In a move that seemed to undermine the damaging revelations, Newton interviewed an anonymous "integrity worker" who attempted to discredit Frances Haugen, the whistleblower who exposed the scandal. Newton's willingness to give a platform to those protecting the powerful is both irresponsible and harmful.

The Coming Slop Era

Zuckerberg's recent dismantling of fact-checking standards is a sign of things to come. Meta's Vice President of Product for Generative AI, Connor Hayes, has stated that the company expects AIs to exist on its platforms like regular accounts.

Meta's foray into AI-generated content is likely to unleash a wave of so- called "slop," driving down the quality of user feeds with content that is either wholly created or summarized by AI. Meta's intention is clear: fill those feeds with AI-generated content, further crowding out genuine human connection.

The lack of media coverage of the rampant quality decline in tech products, particularly in Facebook and Instagram, has enabled tech executives to erode their services with impunity. Zuckerberg and his cohorts are now emboldened to institute further degradations, taking more liberties at the expense of users' experiences.

The Consequences of Slop and Indifference

The rise of a "Slop Era" in tech will have severe repercussions. Companies will prioritize business outcomes over quality, bombarding users with exploitative microtransactions and manipulative dark patterns.

In this climate, Zuckerberg and Meta will likely ramp up their promotion of AI-generated content, further exacerbating the problem of fake news and outright falsehoods. Instagram, too, will become more volatile and exploitative, increasing its reliance on low-quality ads.

The Future of Digital Experience

It is important to note that the Trump administration, despite all the current rhetoric, is unlikely to curb these abuses. Big tech has been generous in its donations to the Trump inaugural fund, securing its protection and the ability to continue operating with impunity.

The current situation is characterized by a pervasive disregard for consumers' experiences. Tech companies see customers as sources of revenue rather than individuals with needs and preferences. Big tech, trapped in a spiral of quarterly growth expectations, has prioritized growth over everything else.

The consequences will be seen in the form of increasingly dysfunctional features, broken products, and an overall diminished experience for users. As tech executives embrace a culture of indifference and contempt for their customers, the digital world is set to enter its most irresponsible era yet.