The Real Question:  Trust

Facebook is conducting studies on the emotional impact of the news feed. They promise it is "no big deal." Of course not.

To me, it sort of feels like waking up in the middle of the night and finding your roommate in your room staring at you. Technically, they've done nothing wrong or illegal, but it feels creepy because it indicates a capacity for creepy behavior. And it feels like the tip of the iceberg.

Here's the thing: there isn't a single reason in the world to trust Facebook with your data. Not one. The only argument is that your data doesn't matter. But Facebook and their investors are gambling your data does matter (to them), and I trust them to do only what is in their interest, not mine.