Platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok play a crucial role in how citizens in modern democracies communicate and form political opinions. Do these sites really foster a diverse, dynamic “digital public square”, or do their data-driven business models block meaningful debate? What other options exist? What are your experiences? Share your thoughts below.
While reading this story, I assumed that the target audience was the traditional media, as they have editors and ethical guidelines, and reporters may even have degrees in Journalism. I do not see those elements in social media. In fact, quite the opposite. I do not detect any standards for truthfulness (fact-checking) or quality of information (who/what/where/when) in social media. As Mr. Cassis said, social media is driven by algorithms designed to maximize number of eyeballs x number of seconds on page, thereby maximimizing revenue. __ __As for the traditional press, Mr. Cassis was diplomatic in asking them to defend democracy as a noble concept, but I think he could have made it more personal for the traditional media. Their industry and jobs owe their very existence to the freedom which true democracies protect. While newspapers, newsletters and radio do exist under autocratic governments, I assume that editors and employees of such media organizations would rather prefer to have the ability to write about what they hear and see without heavy-handed government censors. Enlightened self-interest might motivate the traditional media to defend democracy even more than defending a noble concept does.____And this applies equally to social media. The owners of 'western' social media platforms appear to enjoy the advantages and freedoms that are common to countries governed as true democracies - by which I mean they hold fair elections, where opposition candidates are not jailed before the vote. Social media may have been born as a way of democratizing communication, but it has largely morphed into a tool of mass manipulation by companies and governments, using bots to create agenda-driven stories and fake 'likes'. ____Have the owners of the social media platforms lost their patriotism? Can they really turn a blind eye to a business model which harms their fellow citizens and their country, more than it helps them? This would be the height of cynicism. Again, enlightened self-interest could justify the application of higher standards to the content of these platforms.
Social media / online news is ok as long as opinions are not manipulated to present a specific viewpoint, with any opposing views being blocked by any censor (if there is one). Often my comments are blocked as I did not meet certain criteria, but there is no info about what rule I broke. So, you manipulate your own comments to beat the censor. On platforms like Facebook, I rarely add political comments to avoid upsetting the easily offended. And sadly, there are a lot of easily offended people around nowadays.
I find Facebook important but tense, as my mum‘s boomer friends tend to have very strong opinions and they are NEVER wrong. X and Reddit however often bring people together with completely opposing realities, who try to listen, understand or at least compromise based on shared sources etc.
This is relatively new to me and a pleasant surprise. When a random guy from Iowa explains in a subreddit, why he believes in Trump’s administration and in turn listens to arguments and sources from other debate participants, oftentimes sharing personal anecdotal stories and media / gov. sources and stats, you learn a lot and it informs one’s opinion on a social, very human level that has nothing to do with numbers. I find the rather strict moderation on the platform a great guarantee for a civil tone during more heated debates and an effective filter that selects for interested and thoughtful contributors.
X is great to rally a few strangers and activists/ public people around oneself, that you agree with. It‘s super valuable to scroll through the feed and see parliamentarians comment about the ongoing session, catch a great in-depth article by a serious journalist that completely changes one’s opinion on an issue and tweeting at POTUS what we think about his … approach. It feels great to deposit that somewhere he could potentially read it even if he doesn’t care. I enjoy social media. I wish more people applied some creativity when posting.
Thanks for the comment. It's a nice idea to imagine people being more "creative" when they post. I think it also helps when people are more personal in their posting: not in the sense that they reveal information about themselves, but rather that they are open and thoughtful about their experience and opinions - and not just focused on showing others where they stand on some issue.
I think that for the 22nd century, Brazil should have conception policies that encourage human reproduction in order to keep our species alive, not contraception.
#Couples have more children, not pets
#It's selfish to have pets instead of children
#Have more children, less pets
#The best thing is for a couple who can afford to have 8 or 10 children and only one cat or dog
Acho que para o Século 22, o Brasil deveria ter políticas de concepção que incentive a reprodução humana, de modo a manter a nossa espécie viva, não de contracepção.
#Casais tenham mais filhos, não animais de estimação
#Isso é egoísmo ter animais de estimação ao invés de filhos
#Tenham mais filhos menos pets
#O bom é um casal que tenha condições financeiras para ter 8 ou 10 filhos e apenas um gato ou um cachorro
Social media is the modern "news marketplace". It can be too much information and too much manufactured algorithms which can skew public opinions. It is very important to read all sides and all media and stay neutral and alert to propaganda which is usually coming from all sides.
At the end of the day, we must ask ourselves, what are the results and how do the results benefit mankind and me?
Personally I have seen so much hate in some "reasonably wise people" that I was shocked at their ignorance of being brainwashed by main stream media about a certain man and his team.
Thanks for your comment. Is the situation really as bad - or as bad-intentioned- as all that? "Propaganda" and "brainwashing" clearly exist, but surely it's exaggerated to see them coming from "all sides"! There are plenty of media sources that genuinely aspire to objective reporting.
I believe there is way to learn from Social media but to get to that point you have to collect Wisdom through different sources mainly reading the books building the knowledge base of reality and then you can join the Mainstream media to be able to distinguish what is what! What's real what fake what is propaganda and manipulation which 80% of MM is!!
Young person doesn't stand the chance that's why Mainstream and Social media are indoctrination camps where young minds are molded ! Nothing healthy there!
Who we are? We are in essence what we saw, heard and experienced
Where in today's world majority of those events happen? Mainstream and Social Media!!
Majority of Social media is very heavy polarized and second opinion is crushed or censored big way, censoring opinions on mainstream and Social media is huge and as such People don't have chance to engage in rational thinking!
If you come to Cort room and face the Judge that listens just one side of the story, What outcome you can expect? Unfortunately society tanks to Mainstream and Social Media is that Judge?
We may claim Democracy but we aren't ready for that yet!
Thanks for your thoughts - you mentioned young people especially, do you think their social media use should be more heavily regulated? And in terms of the "one-sided courtroom", what types of opinions and views do you feel are not being heard in society?
It allows untruths to be broadcast widely.
Same way, it also allows facts and truths to be broadcast widely.
so is the solution to try to minimise the amount of untruths being broadcast, or to maximise the ability of users to be able to tell when something is real or not?
Even the substack algorithm feeds me Holocaust denialism, pizza gate, 5G conspiracies and anti-vaccination stuff without subscribing to them. YouTube gets more conspiratorial and right wing as the algorithm exploits your trust. I got banned on Twitter when a crypto purveyor hacked my account.
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