In most cases, alarmist news is betrayed by contradictory or nonsensical information, sometimes difficult to defend. This is because many people do not verify the information posted and panic easily. One of the most famous hoaxes was circulated in connection with microwave radiation. Many gullible people believed the hoax that it is ionizing radiation that causes cancer, just like X-rays.
Mark Zuckerberg and the social network he founded 14 years ago, Facebook, did not escape the same: In April 2018, messages warning the network\’s clients of a simple account security check began circulating the Internet began circulating on the Internet. All one had to do was enter the keyword BFF in the comments section of a post allegedly created and sanctified by Mark Zuckerberg himself, and the color of the message would rate its security. If it turned green, no problem; if not, the account was not secure enough and the password should be changed immediately.
The hoax was spread in Czech, and there are dozens of messages of this kind on Facebook.
How did it become such a spectacle?
Intended as an innocent prank, its creators simply wanted to have fun with human innocence. It is clear that it was nothing more than that. The point was that certain phrases in the comments were linked to animated smileys. For example, the innocuous phrase “Congratulations” would be inserted with an appropriate animated image. Also, the hoax term “BFF” literally means “best friend forever.” As soon as this term is entered, two claps are displayed. Nothing else happens. Of course, the hoax reassures naive victims that this “ritual” is cleverly linked to a sign of account security.
Unfortunately, however, the hoax occurred at an inopportune time, when the company is facing pressure over the misuse of customer data in the wake of the election of U.S. President Trump and Cambridge Analytica in the UK.
For Facebook now, the slightest inconvenience could mean an exodus of customers, but most users are expected to continue using the medium unashamedly as before. Psychological counseling rooms and psychiatrists\’ offices continue to see a surge in cases of dependence on smartphones and, by extension, social networks. Facebook appears to be no exception in terms of patient numbers.
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