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Thursday, October 29, 2015

Pay to get more Facebook 'likes', more 'followers' on Twitter: Unfair practices on social media?

Social media giants Facebook & Twitter have lately come up with similar plans for users who want 'greater clout' or 'more audience'.

If you pay money, you have the option to get more Facebook 'likes' and more Twitter 'followers'.

But is it fair? Content is not the king anymore.

Someone who has extra dollars or rupees, to spend, can use it for branding and get thousands of 'real or unreal' followers on Twitter.

Similar is the case with Facebook. Here, a person can 'buy' the 'likes' for his/her page. Where's the level-playing field on social media?

That's the fundamental question.

I don't feel it is fair. These companies initially had no such schemes but once they reached a level where they are opinion makers and dominate our lives, they have come up with these schemes.

Personally, I don't like it. It's like, you can't earn numbers or grades, so just pay for it. Is it fair? 

Take for example, movie personalities, TV persons, sport stars or anybody who came late on these platforms, and have less followers.

Or those who don't have anything interesting to share but feel upset that others have more likes or followers, can avail these schemes.

They can just pay money and get past the people who genuinely earned the following.

If you pay, Twitter shows your profile to many more people as 'suggested' in 'Who to Follow' advisory on the top right.

If you pay, your page is displayed to more people who are suggested by Facebook, to like the page.

On Facebook, you get option to target people in particular region or people of a particular age group.

We like it or not, Facebook and Twitter dominate our lives so much, that we have to live with it--their policies. They are here for business, aren't they. And that's what business is!!!