Ethical Jobs Response

The question of whether or not I should accept a job at Facebook, in my opinion, has a reasonably clear answer. My net impact needs to be factored in when making the decision. What harm am I causing by taking the job, and what good can I do with the money I get in return? As mentioned in the article, exploitation of consumers should be cause for concern for any worker who cares about finding an ethical job. I believe that all of the most popular modern social media apps are exploitative of consumers, and Facebook is no exception. For instance, truth and privacy are compromised to provide the user with a more personalized experience. The Facebook algorithm tailors each user’s feed to their preferences with the goal of maximizing user engagement and ad exposure. Consequently, sensationalist headlines are rewarded, and engagement bait is prioritized over accurate reporting. This has obvious negative downstream effects on general awareness of current events, political discourse, and even interpersonal relationships. I personally know an incredibly accomplished former PSIA Alpine Team member who fell down a Facebook conspiracy theory rabbit hole during COVID and subsequently lost most of his friends and was cut off from the majority of his network. There are tangible consequences to Facebook’s consumer exploitation. However, before turning the job offer down, it’s important to ask myself what I’m accomplishing in doing so. If I don’t complete the tasks that would be assigned to me on the job, will they remain untouched? Will Facebook really struggle to recruit someone sufficiently qualified for the job, who’s actually willing to take it? Whether or not I take the role doesn’t change the fact that it exists, and it will inevitably be fulfilled by someone. In my opinion, turning the job offer down has no practical effect aside from renouncing control of the money. I can use what Facebook pays me to rectify some of the damage they’ve done. If I don’t take the job, I’m simply offloading the responsibility to someone else. How do I know they’ll use the money selflessly than I would? The decision to take the job is therefore dependent on whether or not I trust myself more than the average Facebook applicant to use the money responsibly. I do, so I’d accept the job.