“Meta? Meh.” That was my response to Facebook’s new name and it was probably your response, too. It wasn’t until today that I understood why why artists should hate Meta and you should, too. If you love original stories, games, music, movies, you want Meta to die like the leech that it is. Here comes the explanation from Neal Bauer, which even Shawn Layden, the former CEO of PlayStation, agrees with. Watch the video to hear Neal Bauer’s complete explanation:
Make no mistake – we’re fighting a war against dystopia. It’s not coming with bombs or bullets, it’s coming with smiles and hashtags. Artists and creative people fight constant battles for validation, living wages, and existence. Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘Meta’ platform is built on the premise that communities are virtual, and therefore making them even more virtual will somehow benefit us even as it benefits Meta. Nothing could be further than the truth: art and creative professionals know how to make a living, we don’t need Mark Zuckerberg’s help. If anything, Meta a siege engine designed to destroy the thin construct of cooperation that allows creative professionals to exist in 2021. We should all be avoiding it like the plague.
I’m not the only one that thinks Meta is a bad idea. Edward Snowden denounced it on Twitter. Personally, it sounds very close to the all-knowing, all-powerful dystopia I describe in Mesh. I appreciate knowing why artists should hate Meta. Let’s get back to making things people don’t hate!
