Facebook’s Trending News needs drastic and urgent improvement
This is absurd. With everything that’s happening in the world (see the list with a bluish background from Wikipedia), why are half of Facebook’s “news” events focused on celebrity drama? Altogether eight are related to pop culture, although the ongoing Cosby revelations are important. Worse, FOUR were inspired by what these celebrities said or did on Twitter or Instagram.
Meanwhile: - the world’s been hotter than ever recorded - national crime rates are down in Canada - a major trans* rights victory’s been won in Newfoundland and Labrador - yet another person of colour has died suspiciously under police custody in the US - the Pan Am games are happening - there’s been a major oil pipeline spill in Alberta - a new international nuclear agreement has been reached - a terrorist attack kills 32 in Turkey - Canadian premiers are pushing for a new Canadian Energy Strategy - the US and Cuba are talking again
…and that’s just what I could find in fifteen minutes of browsing.
But no, the world knows that Katy Perry cares about whatever is happening between Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj because Twitter. Little else matters, now that Drake might use a ghostwriter. And someone posted videos of their brother on Instagram.
Facebook Design, I’m disappointed. You’re better than this. You know that this matters — a lot — and you are invested in the power of your product to change the world. You have the capacity to change it, too, as you’ve demonstrated with many of your recent celebrated design decisions. Your brilliant product design director constantly writes about these themes on Medium and your lead UX + content strategist just presented a fantastic talk on these themes at the ConfabMN conference.
You can change how the world sees itself. Please try.