What to do about Social Media

2/14/23

Twitter, Meta, Google, et al have been used to disseminate user content and with much controversy. Do they deserve immunity from libel and slander as Section 230 allows or is there some culpability for X content that must be punished? Court cases continue to prop up and new revelations about internal practices raise eyebrows throughout the political landscape. What to do?

The Constitution of the United States is the second most bedrock document the world has seen. (The bible being number one.) The protection for unfettered speech is clearly spelled out in the 1^st amendment. Though under considerable attack right now, it is still a critical plank that separates us from those who would control you head to foot. It is imperative that it not be encroached upon for our society to continue to prosper. Social media plays an increasingly important role in public discourse and as such, it must be used to promote rather than inhibit free discussion.

Rather than leave this issue to politicians who approach most on how they affect their re-election, it would be better for users to say exactly what they want in a public forum. Censorship should be a bad word and letting Washington dictate what can and cannot be said is fraught with totalitarianism. The advent of artificial intelligence should bring about the ability to encourage public discussions while protecting all of us from things found to be violating accepted norms and laws. So, try this on for size.

1. NO PORN – Any display or depiction of human genitalia, real or simulated sex acts should be sequestered and accessed only by credibly assured adults. Prior to viewing, the site must warn the viewer of its pornographic content.
2. NO VIOLENCE – Any real or simulated acts of violence including physical confrontations, use of weapons or any item used to cause harm to a person or animal are not permitted. Entries of bonafide contact sports must be accompanied by a warning that there is violent content.
3. PERSON RESPONSIBLE – persons or organizations that post anything are solely responsible for the content they posted. They are subject to all laws pertaining to public statements. All postings must be traceable to an IP address that can be disabled in the least and prosecuted if necessary and possible.

Commensurate with this approach to social media and the internet in general, is educating people on the proper use of these vehicles. First, they are not the bible. There are many untruths in the world and they find their way to these sites. If you are getting your “information” from the internet, you may want to do a little more digging before accepting it as gospel. Much good has come from social media but so has it brought much grief. The answer to bad speech is not throttling it but encouraging more of it. Even stupid back-and-forth is better than shut up and sit down.