It's Time to Defund Social Media

https://www.wired.com/story/its-time-to-defund-social-media

by pattusk • 6 years ago

14 4 6 years ago

In the most general sense it seems like people are complaining that outrageous views have a chance to get heard. In their next breath they say the views are unpopular and held by no one.

No one minds wearing masks so why do we hear from people who don't want to wear masks?

I think there are two things going on here. The first is that there's a feeling that allowing someone to make a point is tantamount to expressing agreement with it. If you really disagree with it you make sure that the statement isn't even made.

The second thing is that while the author isn't taken in by the argument there's a belief that other people are less rigorous in their thinking and will be convinced by a poorly made case.

I think the root problem is that we're all in a room full of strangers and there's a loaded gun on the floor. I don't want to shoot anyone but just the same I'm going to make sure I'm the one to pick it up. I'll also wave off anyone who's coming near me. I'd like to have some brilliant idea to get rid of the gun entirely but I don't see that happening.

ourmandave• 6 years ago

I hope this story goes viral!

fk6aaa545c• 6 years ago

Social Media are sponsored by goverments?

gruez• 6 years ago

Calls to defund the police provide a helpful analogue. Until we fundamentally reimagine what law enforcement means and does, lasting change will not be possible; all the injustice baked into the system will continue emerging from that system. Something similar could be said of social media: Until we fundamentally reimagine our information ecosystem and our respective roles within it, we’ll keep repeating the same patterns over and over—not as a bug of the system, not as a feature of the system, but as the system itself.

It's Time to Defund Social Media

Related Stories