Facebook influences everyone – even you

Facebook doesn't fool me – but I worry about how it affects you [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 24 May 2019 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair [Jeff Inglis] A note from... Jeff Inglis Science + Technology Editor Lots of people are talking about how Facebook often misinforms – or even disinforms – its users. Some are concerned this may threaten our democracy. So why is everyone still using Facebook, helping the company earn record profits? What I heard from Joseph Walther, a professor of communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara, led me to wonder if meaningful change will ever come to social media. In today’s lead story, Walther explains a social science phenomenon called the “third party effect,” in which people think they’re immune to media influence, but are very worried about others falling prey to it. The problem is that [everyone thinks that way](. Also today: adding up [what Airbnb is costing the hotel industry](, the [history of Muslims in China]( and helping [people with brain injuries regain their empathy](. Top story I’m safe, but you should be more careful online. Rapeepat Pornsipak/Shutterstock.com [Facebook doesn’t fool me – but I worry about how it affects you]( Joseph B. Walther, University of California, Santa Barbara People know about Facebook's problems, but assume they are largely immune – even while they imagine that everyone else is very susceptible to influence. Economy + Business - [As Airbnb grows, this is exactly how much it’s bringing down hotel prices and occupancy]( Tarik Dogru, Florida State University The number of Airbnb properties has exploded since its founding in 2008. A hospitality management expert looked at how this has hurt hotels. 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