The Truth is Hard to Handle

    For the current political climate and impending metaverse from the company formerly known as Facebook, Alexander Meiklejohn's participation in the self-government theory of free expression resonated with me the most. It has long been said that knowledge is power, and the restriction of knowledge systematically oppresses our power and freedom. This theory focuses on elections in that if candidates are restricted in their ability to communicate their ideas voters will not make wise choices in elections.

    Immediately this made me think of the current restrictions on social media platforms against politicians, especially former President Donald Trump. On January 8th of 2021, Twitter released a statement that Trump is permanently banned from their platform in an effort to prevent more "incitement of violence." This was released in the wake of the January 6th Insurrection. Soon after, Snapchat also permanently banned the former president while Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Twitch placed indefinite suspensions on his account. 

    Now I must admit, following the images I saw on my TV after January 6, hearing Trump could no longer Tweet felt like a breath of fresh air. At the time it seemed that this was the first step to healing. Though, when reflecting on my status as a new voter I begin to wonder if I was ever really presented all the information before I cast my ballot. Did my peers and I glean our political stance from algorithms on the apps that occupy our free time?  Why did I experience relief that from the silencing of an individual with equal standing with me in the eyes of the 1st Amendment?

    Politics are increasingly becoming the most polarized they have been in U.S. History. One thing that could be attributed to this is the aforementioned algorithm. Algorithms are tailored to their consumer, and, in turn, they can persuade who you vote for. For example, the more content I like on Tik Tok that states the risks or rumors of the COVID-19 vaccine, the more content relating to that area will be pushed to me. If I am consuming anti-vaccine and potentially other far-right content each day, my opinions will begin to meld to the algorithm that was supposed to meld to me. These algorithms are driving us towards other users that think like us and away from those with differing viewpoints. This virtually eliminates any intersectionalities and similar views. So, when we come together to discuss politics in person the other view seems nearly outlandish because we are becoming inexperienced with viewpoints of opposition. 

    Approaching elections with the single viewpoint an algorithm fed to you has created almost political blinders for voters. They are simply unwilling to compromise because the only ideas they have a foundation for are the ones in their chosen political affiliation. In tandem with the algorithm, the censoring of politicians on social media makes being an informed voter a hefty task. One that the average voter is unwilling to tackle. So, what happens? Misinformed voters make misinformed decisions that place individuals in office that cannot follow through on their promises.

    The participating in self-government theory also reminded me of the Netflix Documentary "The Social Delima." The documentary focuses mostly on the dangers of social media's impact on our lives. Though, the most relevant part is its point of how social media has created an echo chamber of opinions, diluting any potential of arriving at the truth. The documentary points that social media is a danger to our communities and to democracy itself.

    This also made me think of Trump's very own social media platform that is currently in development entitled Truth Social. I began to wonder if this really would be the platform that reflected the values the government promised in the 1st Amendment. Though, these values do not have to be lived out by any organization other than the government itself. I soon discovered the very forum that prides itself on "truth" will support censorship on their site. They will implement the very thing that seems to be its antithesis. The social media site's terms of service state that it will remove posts that “disparage, tarnish, or otherwise harm, in our opinion, us and/or the Site.”

    All this makes me realize that I have undoubtedly developed my political opinion from social media. My political opinions seem to be moving further and further away from that of my family. Though maybe that's not just part of growing up; it's part of being a user of social media. However, I cannot let go of the notion that I am an informed voter. I read the news, I consider the positions of candidates and I think about their humanity. Still, the very basis of my voting position may be built upon an electronic platform's manipulation. But maybe that is just what makes me more informed: I am aware that some of my opinions are not my own. Though, my coming from an informed position is under attack as censorship increases. I have many more elections still to vote in and so much more to learn, but a range of information is becoming more difficult to find. 

    This value of the free expression is teetering in the balance as social media censorship changes and evolves. Informed voters are paramount to the preservation of democracy, but too often information is gained from algorithms or not looked for at all. It will be up to the very people whose political ideology was founded on an algorithm to make the change.

    

 

Photo Sources:

Insurrection Photo

The Social Delima Photo