QUESTIONS to Consider
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
Should our government get involved in monitoring sites that profit from spreading false information? If so, in what ways?
Do sites like FB have an obligation to monitor accounts that spread hate speech, or fake news?
Are there issues besides hate speech and lies (political, scientific) that we need to address? (eg algorithm-based addiction, sm & teenage self-loathing (esp young girls), regulating sm monopolies?
What are the greatest harms related to sm facing us in the future?
What can you do to mitigate social media harms that increasingly frame our notions of self, community, belonging and connection?
Watch
Read
Scientific American on
Information Overload and Social Media
Article in Chicago Tribune reporting
reasons fake news spreads
How we all can help stop the spread,
per USC media researchers
What Can We DO?
We cannot close our exploration of social media without talking about the harm being done by current practice. Tools created for good (the developers say) are now found to cause increasing harm to our well-being, especially use by young people and by those not able to discern "fake news/fake science" from what is known. Concern has risen to the level that Netflix sponsored a documentary that can still be found free online. See current link at left.
And then, think about your own practices online, both for good (sending birthday greetings on FB, staying in touch with distant friends and family, sharing passions and hobbies, advocating for causes you care about...) and for harm (increasing ADD, accidentally spreading fake news and links, wasting time, feeling like you're missing out, more/worse?)
We are all responsible for shaping the future of the social/digital, we are all defining how the machine is US/(us/ing) us, we all have voice, we can take the "red pill."