Chapter 4

You are now 'in a relationship'

Social media as emotional exploitation

Have you ever wondered why Facebook and Instagram are free, or how they manage to stay free, while declaring hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues?

Judging from numerous public backlashes, many people are bothered by the idea that Facebook might profit from the things they upload there. Yet social media use continues to grow, and people happily go on using the social media platform of their choice, despite the fact that every like, every retweet, every part of your profile, and every second you spend scrolling, clicking and viewing media on there produces commercial value from which you will not benefit. People even panic and call the police when Facebook goes down.

The real question is, what is the true nature of your relationship with the large enterprises that own and develop social media platforms?

Next chapter: Enclosure, ignorance and the politics of content