I'm generally a private person and Facebook is anathema to that. My "page", if I remember correctly, was automatically generated. It has my name, and that's it. I used it once to contact a long lost friend of my mother. I notice family members with "friend requests" wouldn't call me to save their lives. Facebook seems like a shorthand to have fake family and fake friends while third parties gather as much information on you as possible. I've thought about deleting the account, but I keep thinking it might be needed as an emergency back up for communicating with someone.

Facebook was of course set up to be an alternative to the Internet, easy Internet for the lazy and not so bright. People who can and who really have something to add, or say, build or pay for websites etc., but Facebook is there for the can't be bothered. So it is natural that it gets just the boring and shallow that no body could be bothered to make an effort over. I was told to do it for my business, but it is so shallow boring and dull it holds no interest and as soon as I can stop I will.

I think empathy is a trademark of MOST A-theists.

This highlights why the gatekeeping by Facebook concerns me so. As far as people being disconnected, I think there are a number of factors, but think of social media more an amplifier and resonator than a cause.

:
Facebook's Secret Censorship Manual Exposed as Platform Takes Down Video About Israel Terrorizing Palestinians

[commondreams.org]

I read an article once that kinda turned these ideas on their head. (I get stuck on the old lit search rabbit hole sometimes but I will try and find it and link it). The article suggested that because the internet and global knowledge has made the world smaller, people are less likely to view global neighbours as 'other'. The knowledge economy is the most powerful tool ever created by people and like many other inventions, there is the potential for good as well as evil. Yes we see people taking and posting videos of children being hurt, people taking selfies at their dying grannie's bedside or people being racist, but without these videos these events go unspoken. Those videos, facebook etc allow people to discuss their beliefs (good or bad) in a reasonably safe environment. I must say, after I deactivated FB, I have felt much more at ease. I always strongly believe that the way forward for all of humankind is to keep talking.

Repeatedly, for ten years my daughter asked to me join Facebook, I finally relented about two years ago. I had numerous requests to add people to my list of contacts. Some of those who wanted me to add them claimed to have 'thousands of friends' on Facebook, LMAO, nearly fell of the chair. I 'll bet they have never met even one of those people whom they claim as friends, virtual friendships.

I use it to keep in contact with my daughter and several people that I met over the years. From what I saw on Facebook I am of the opinion that it is an arena for competing egos and very few, if any, have anything of substance to say let alone discuss without fear of being booted off. It appeals to those who are largely swayed by images. There is a distinct lack of empathy which is tantamount to a courtroom judge who said to the counsel for the defence, 'my mind is made up do not confuse me with the evidence.'