Facebook Inc. and Public Health
Gerry Som, MBA, MS-M, MBBS, (B.S. in C.S-S.D.E.)
Software Development Engineering (Computer Science) student, Management Professional & Medical Doctor | Canadian citizen of South Indian origin | Lived in: India, K.S.A., U.A.E., Bahrain, Canada & USA.
Key words: Social Media, Advertising, Marketing, Technology, Health Behavior, Health Information, Mental Health, Stress, Emotions
About Facebook Inc.
Facebook Incorporated is an American corporation founded in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and his team, and is head quartered in Menlo Park, CA. It has a portfolio of many companies and mostly operates internet based businesses like social networking sites. This post focuses on Facebook website, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram, all owned by Facebook Inc.
Background
There has been a huge growth in the availability and usage of the internet, wi-fi hotspots, mobile devices (smart phones, laptops, tablets and so on) and software (for both desktop and mobile devices). There is now a thriving ecosystem of various apps (short for software applications). Half of the world population has access to the internet, with there being 3.8 billion users globally. USA has about 88.5% penetration rate. There are more than 1 million Android apps, with more than 50 billion downloads. There are more than 650,000 Apple apps with more than 30 billion downloads. These are the dominant players in the online operating systems and platforms.
The older generation, who are digital migrants have begun to adapt to internet usage, while the newer generation has digital natives - those born during the existence and common usage of the internet. The current trend of fast growth of infrastructure for online communication provides fertile ground for user friendly online platforms of communication. At the same time, organizations must use them effectively for communication with stakeholders. Not every organization is on board the online medium at this time, and not everyone understands the significance of the internet and e-commerce and shifts taking place. There are stories of retail chains going bust and newspapers closing because they neglected the online medium.
Facebook website
URL: www.Facebook.com
or www.fb.com
Facebook is an online social networking site with almost 2 billion (1.98 to be exact, and growing) monthly active users, which is more than 1/4th (26.3% to be exact) of the world population. It is available in 140 languages and has Alexa (web traffic) ranking of 3, which means it is the 3rd most visited website in the world.
URL: www.WhatsApp.com
WhatsApp is an instant messaging and social media service that has voice and video calls and was released in January 2009. It has 1.2 billion users globally and Alexa rank of 72. The daily record was 27 billion+ messages. Competitors include WeChat, Viber, Line and so on.
URL: www.Instagram.com
The name comes from the words 'instant camera' and 'telegram'. It is an online photo sharing and networking platform released in October 2010. It is available in 33 languages and has Alexa ranking 17. It has 800 million monthly users, with 500 million daily users. What made it attractive was the availability of filters, geotag, hashtag, stories and videos.
Facebook Messenger
URL: www.Messenger.com
Messenger is an instant messaging and social media service which was released in August 2011. It has Alexa ranking 211 and 1.2 billion users globally. Like WhatsApp, it has free video and voice calling as well as photo and video transmitting facility. These two apps have enabled people to keep in touch with their families for free (especially important for those who can not afford expensive phone calls) and to get in touch during crises.
Advantages for Public Health
Facebook Inc's portfolio of products have massive reach (more than a quarter of all humans). This is useful for health promotion and behavior change. This enables informing, empowering, mobilizing people towards better health. It helps to generate viral cascades of information for fast spread of information. It offers free advocacy tools. It helps organizations to have an online presence even without a website. The data available can be used a surveillance tool and as forecasting tool. It enables rich online ecosystem integration with other portals. It can be used to recruit volunteers for clinical trials. Public health messages can be spread by use of informational and explanatory videos. It can be used for sharing information about rare diseases or new disease outbreaks. Combating rumors or myths about health can be done. It is useful during disasters, both natural and man made. Safety check feature of Facebook is very useful in disasters to inform friends and families of personal safety and well being.
The campaign "This is Public Health" is being used to recruit new students for Public Health education. It can be used for engaging medical and public health professionals. Continuing education can be provided on a global scale via its platforms. Rating and review of health services and health professionals can be done, which is useful for prospective clients.
Content is available online 24 x 7 x 365. One time effort can benefit for ever. It is not like the Superbowl ad that lasts 30 seconds, or a TV ad that is only available for brief periods. These platforms help improve SEO for main website. They enable communication without emails (which not everyone has or uses). They offer platforms for immediate problem resolution for organizations. It is also a platform for future growth and innovations.
Disadvantages for Public Health
Half the world population does not have internet. Not everyone uses the platforms of Facebook Inc. The question is also 'Are organizations using social media at all, and if yes, properly and effectively, including Facebook's platforms?' There is a possibility of loss of user interest and information overload if messages are not engaging. Facebook addiction has now become a commonly heard term. It can promote obsessive compulsive behavior and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
There is a lot of fake news and propaganda spread via these portals, whether out of ignorance, malice or for exploitation. Inaccurate information without evidence, related to health are being spread and can be spread with damaging results. There are pedophiles lurking online who can influence and hurt young children on these portals. Cyber-stalking and unwanted attention incidences are taking place and can continue, especially with confusing or changing privacy settings. There are cases of homicides, suicides and molestation on Facebook live video feature. There have been cases of online recruitment by brainwashing by terrorists. There are cases of online trolls and bullying causing mental anguish. It is difficult to regulate content and behavior online. Policing the platforms for 2 billion users is not easy. These services can also addiction to mobile devices and increase risks for injuries and accidents, especially road traffic accidents.
Then there are body image issues where especially teenagers compare themselves to peers and feel that they do not have the right body attributes, causing anxiety, dissatisfaction, depression, anorexia and so on. This is especially true with Instagram, which can also promote vanity and narcissism. Too much sharing of information about physical whereabouts etc can lead to kidnapping, molestation, and even houses to be robbed, and there have been reported cases of such incidences already.
Conclusion
Facebook Inc. has effective platforms with vast reach to more than a quarter of the world population, useful for public health communications, surveillance, mobilization, engagement and interventions. However, there are benefits and harms. The general public as well as public health organizations must be careful to minimize the possible harms and leverage the available benefits. We do not live in a perfect world, and it is important for every individual to be well informed and act with care and caution when using online platforms, in order to get maximum benefit.