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Facebook Is Testing a Dislike Button (thedailybeast.com)
Ever since the inception of the Like button, Facebook users have been asking for a "dislike" button. Today, Facebook is testing a "downvote" button with certain users in the comment section of posts within Facebook groups and on old Facebook memories content. The Daily Beast reports: The feature appears to give users the ability to downrank certain comments. This is the first time Facebook has tested anything similar to a "dislike" button and it could theoretically allow for content that's offensive or relevant to be pushed to the bottom of a comment feed. In 2016, citing Facebook executives, Bloomberg said a dislike button "had been rejected on the grounds that it would sow too much negativity" to the platform. It's unclear how widely the dislike button is being tested. Facebook regularly tests features with small subsets of users that never end up rolling out to the broader public. Most users currently are only able to either Like or Reply to comments in a thread. The downvote option could have radical implications on what types of discussions and comments flourish on the platform. While it could theoretically be used to de-rank inflammatory or problematic comments, it could also easily be used as a tool for abuse.
Unfortunately, negative social interaction is more engaging than positive. The users will be less happy - hell, some will be downright miserable - but they'll be more engaged, more addicted to getting likes and getting a rush from watching 'enemies' get a dislike.
See: Reddit. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than a social networking site with this kind of unlimited feedback system.
Combined with all the Antifa and SJW cretins doing the same to anything that triggers their delicate sensibilities... yes it would.
You're right. However, users can choose not to participate on Facebook.
Personally, FB is an addressbook. As long as my addressbook can't downvote my ACCOUNT, who cares?
I don't post much and if I post something that I'm interested in and people downvote, I will ask them what's up because they are people I know. If their explanation is sketchy or rude, unfriend. Problem solved.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
People really need to start growing up and taking their own responsibility regarding their behaviour and mood. If your mood is bad, why is it bad? Are you worn out from running on the FB treadmill of clicking and being possessed by your friends list?
Every human being knows if they are getting sick from toxic things. FB's toxicity is SLOW. It won't kill you right away but it could if the depression or anxiety from whether you will get accepted or not gets bad enough.
Dopamine is what FB is after. It's proven that a 66% negative exposure will double the high you get when you get one upvote or comment.
But FB has had downvote installed for YEARS. It was just internal. If they say they didn't have it then why are so many user posts never seen by ANYONE?
Once the downvote feature is live, the FB feed can go back to realtime posts from all friends. Users could then just lower visibility on friends they care less about.
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
And I haven't really seen any bad abuse there. The dislikes are usually very small compared to likes. I actually dislike social media sites that only expect you to like everything.