Would I work at Facebook?
Why I would say yes
I would work at Facebook because it could provide stability and open up more opportunities down the line. Having a big name like that on my resume would give me the ability to be choosy about the kind of work and the kind of life that I want later. Right now, I’m just a basic college student. I don’t know everything about what Facebook is or isn’t, but I know I have a lot to learn. Shielding myself from jobs with ethical complications isn’t realistic. Instead, I’d rather learn to face them and use that experience to make better decisions in the future.
Grappling with the Ethical Side
The “Ethical Jobs” paper outlined two main ways people approach this:
- Ignore the ethical issues completely.
- Accept the decision to work there and justify it for yourself.
I would choose the second. For me, that means coming to terms with the fact that my role is probably small and temporary in the grand scheme of things.
How seriously wrong do I believe the company’s actions are?
Yes, Facebook has done some messed up shit. But there are also teams like Trust & Safety where I could try to mitigate harm. I can aim to do work that contributes to solutions, or at least avoid making things worse. Given the scale of Facebook, controversy is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean every employee is complicit in every bad decision.
How close is my work to those actions I believe wrong?
My mindset: as long as my work does not directly cause purposeful harm (like coding airstrikes), I can live with it. I can’t control every way technology is used once it’s out in the world. If I act with good intent and avoid projects that obviously cause harm, I’ve done my part.
My hopes…
I admit I’m a little idealistic. I want to believe that working at a company can be a way to help change it. Even if the structures are rigid, younger employees are entering the industry all the time. I’d have the chance to work with people who challenge and change me, and maybe together we could push policies in a better direction or at least make it known when we’re not okay with something.
At the end of the day
I think it’s okay to think of my actions as small. Every single action I do in the future is not going to affect thousands or millions of people. I can give myself grace to work and live how I want without stepping on eggshells.
