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| Can we really control social media? |
Demogr3thics recently held a facilitated discussion with class mates on the topic of unsocial media and Twitter Trolls. This discussion produced many interesting views and ethical issues relating to social media and the problems it faces.
Twitter is now the biggest social media platform with users reaching the 500 million mark in 2012 and 340 million tweets are being sent per day. It is clear it is an effective channel, which can reach many people at one time.
Twitter is now the biggest social media platform with users reaching the 500 million mark in 2012 and 340 million tweets are being sent per day. It is clear it is an effective channel, which can reach many people at one time.
Does that come at a price though? Has Twitter become a
platform where people take ‘Freedom of speech’ too directly and post offensive
comments as they think they are protected in the comfort of their own home?
In many cases, these streams of tweets can play key roles in
the events of today. Take 2011 for example, Social media networks played a huge
role in the London Riots, with mass messages being sent around sites such as
Twitter, Facebook and instant messaging BMM, encouraging other members to get involved. For many,
these interactions caused contribution from the easily lead members of the public who didn’t even know
what they were participating in. This was seen from the news, where interviewers asked rioters why they were partaking and were answered with blank stares and
completely misguided reasons.
Although Twitter may not have been the primary reason that
these riots continued and gained pace, do you perhaps believe they wouldn’t
have been as bad without the encouragement of social media? Should social
networks have been more regulated to avoid this in the first place?
Similarly to this, taking the case of the recent murder of
Solider Lee Rigby, there was a huge uprising in racist incidents after the
attack due to the influence spread on social media.
Tweets of racial intent on Muslims led to racially aggravated
assaults and numbers rose to more than half of racist assaults in a year. 11 people were also arrested after making racist or anti-religious comments on
Twitter. However, social media was filled with a stream of comments, so
questions remain, how did only 11 people get sentenced for their comments?
Or should these tweets have even been allowed to be posted in
the first place?
Lastly, I want to take a case where social media has been regulated to the point of irrationality.
Here, I want to bring up the case of an 18 year old gamer,
who was jailed over his terrorist threat online. However, it was apparent that
the young boy had actually just posted an immature and clearly sarcastic response to
someone calling him 'crazy'. The conversation was regarding an online game, which
is known to gain toxic comments.
I'm sure you're wondering what kind of comment could be posted to get an 18 year old boy marched off to prison without even any form of questioning?
Well according to court evidence the comment stated: "I'm f---ed in the head alright. I think I'ma (sic) shoot up a kindergarten and watch the blood of the innocent rain down and eat the beating heart of one of them." He then followed the claim with "LOL" and "J/K" -- indicating that the comment wasn't of serious intent.
The teen is now suffering psychological damage whilst also being on suicide watch in prison. Is this a case where Facebook has been over regulated to the point of being ridiculous? What happens to everyone who jokingly argues over the internet? Is our freedom of speech needing to be censored to save a prison arrest or should there be a block on this sort of language being posted?
What do you think about the social media debate? Does more need to be done to censor our content or do we have a right to post whatever we want on the internet?
Let me know what you think.
L.C
