The business model of social media businesses, like Facebook and TikTok, is basically very similar to traditional media, like television, radio, magazines and newspapers.
The business delivers an audience to advertisers, who are the paying customers and the source of revenue.
A distinguishing feature of social media is the audience can be more closely targeted, based on user profiles and viewing habits.
Also, the “programming”, “entertainment” or content for social media businesses is provided by its users, instead of program producers and writers paid by the media business. Travel photos, family activity photos, and shared experiences provide attractive content that other users, such as other family members, want to see, so they continue to use the social media website.
In a sense, the social media site is driven by gossip or other information that users value. Advertisers pay for access to “gossip groups.”
I think this explains Facebook’s poor “customer service” to users. It’s practically impossible for users to communicate with Facebook when there is a problem, such as having an account suspended and losing access to Facebook.
USERS (the audience) AREN’T CUSTOMERS!
Can you imagine asking a television station for help when you’re having trouble with reception?
Unfortunately, there aren’t easy ways even for technicians to fix Facebook problems, since the mechanics of the application are managed by Facebook, which has no clear procedures for appealing suspensions.
Hopefully Facebook will find that suspending users without cause might also result in lower usage or abandonment of its site by followers of the suspended users. Unjust suspensions also create a bad image for the company when unjustly suspended users share their experiences in their conversations online and offline. It really makes sense to provide clear procedures to appeal a suspension.