So when we talk about what they contributed to society, I think it's mostly that. It's not some life altering service in any benevolent way. I would think it's more likely life altering in the negative way. It started out as a useful thing, it turned into a monster turning addiction into profit.
> Why do you care how other people choose to spend their time?
I don't, we were discussing what it added to society.
> Is it the technology you don't like, or the people who use it?
It is the long list of abuses of people's weaknesses for profit.
I'm not defending FB practices, I'm stating it has value beyond the hyperbole.
> heaps of small venues would see their online presence deleted overnight
Static hosting has been a solved problem for decades. Plenty of options for small businesses at a negligible cost per month.