TBH, I sometimes think banning social media might be the best solution, and also clearly defining what it is and isn’t to prevent bad faith actors weaponizing the ban (e.g. any platform that functions as a general “public square”).
Maybe we’re just too stupid as a species to have it.
NAL, but my understanding is that unilaterally banning social media wouldn’t be a violation of free speech, because it’s targeted at a single issue for a specific purpose and applies to everyone equally, government included. Removing a public square(s) doesn’t mean free speech is denied. It means people will have to find other outlets for their speech that aren’t social media.
If the government banned newspaper in the 1800s, because it was poisoning everyone, it would not be a violation of free speech or freedom of the press. If they banned newspaper companies, it would. In this case, they wouldn’t be banning Xitter, they’d be banning Xitter-like digital platforms.
I’m not saying I’m fully on board with my own idea. I rather enjoy social media, and places like Discord have been instrumental for people finding support groups. But if experts could prove that our lives would be measurably better without it, I would have to assess my beliefs about it.
(This will likely never come to pass, because companies like Xitter and Facebook would be materially damaged, if not bankrupted, and they’d probably successfully sue over some right to do business or something.)
This is certainly a problem with it, but we are seeing a major problem without it too. I’m curious as to what people think a solution might be.
TBH, I sometimes think banning social media might be the best solution, and also clearly defining what it is and isn’t to prevent bad faith actors weaponizing the ban (e.g. any platform that functions as a general “public square”).
Maybe we’re just too stupid as a species to have it.
Problem is that whole “free speech” thing.
NAL, but my understanding is that unilaterally banning social media wouldn’t be a violation of free speech, because it’s targeted at a single issue for a specific purpose and applies to everyone equally, government included. Removing a public square(s) doesn’t mean free speech is denied. It means people will have to find other outlets for their speech that aren’t social media.
If the government banned newspaper in the 1800s, because it was poisoning everyone, it would not be a violation of free speech or freedom of the press. If they banned newspaper companies, it would. In this case, they wouldn’t be banning Xitter, they’d be banning Xitter-like digital platforms.
I’m not saying I’m fully on board with my own idea. I rather enjoy social media, and places like Discord have been instrumental for people finding support groups. But if experts could prove that our lives would be measurably better without it, I would have to assess my beliefs about it.
(This will likely never come to pass, because companies like Xitter and Facebook would be materially damaged, if not bankrupted, and they’d probably successfully sue over some right to do business or something.)