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Social Media: Good or Bad for Democracy?
To better answer the questions afforded to me for this assignment, I think a basis for the topic
at hand is needed. One needs to understand what social media is exactly and what it entails. Upon
creating a baseline, we can then determine if it is good or bad for democracy. Social media platforms
typically include those such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and many others. In our society,
social media platforms have become important for modern communication and because of that, they
can have a significant impact on how people connect. Now that we have a baseline, we can better look
at how social media can be good or bad for our democracy.
1) In your estimation, how serious is the problem of “fake news” or disinformation in
cyberspace?
In my estimation, I think “fake news” is very problematic in that it could pose a threat to our
democratic process and how the public sees news outlets or any other type of media that they rely on
for information. I believe the biggest factor is that anyone can share anything on these social media
platforms and that can be misleading, which can also spread like a wildfire (Spinello, 2021). It can be said
that our media outlets are more concerned with being first rather than being truthful. Once outed for
misinformation, they can then redact it.
This leads me to the accountability factor. If all that is needed is a redaction, then there are no
real consequences for those who spread misleading information. This is very concerning because those
who do not do their due diligence may take everything they see or hear at face value.
Finally, users of social media platforms can get involved in something called “echo chambers”
which means that the user is surrounded by those who only share their beliefs. This can pose an issue
due to the fact those individuals can spread misleading information just to gain clout with those users.
2) What policy changes would you recommend for Facebook that might help it remedy some of
its past lapses and problems?
Recommendations for policy change for Facebook can be tricky. On one hand, you will want to
maintain freedom of free speech while also limiting the spread of misinformation. I think taking a more
significant look at content moderation should be considered. I believe Facebook should employ better
neutral third-party affiliates who can then monitor the content for any misleading information.
3) What can be done about harmful, misleading content, election protection, privacy, or data
protection?
I am a huge fan of transparency and I think Facebook should exercise better transparency for its
users. If misleading information is being displayed, let the users know the context of what is false, and
how it is false. They should include sources of accurate information for their readers to peruse so that
they can better educate themselves.
I also believe that Section 230 reform is needed, which is a form of protection for Facebook so
that it protects them from “facing legal consequences for the real-world harm users can cause with the
content they post on its platforms” (Ghaffray, 2021).
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References
Ghaffray, S. (2021, November 8th). How to fix Facebook. Retrieved from Vox:
https://www.vox.com/recode/22762596/how-to-fix-facebook-mark-zuckerberg
Spinello, R. A. (2021). Cyberethics: Morality and Law in Cyberspace. In R. A. Spinello, Cyberethics:
Morality and Law in Cyberspace (pp. 32-62). Jones & Bartlett.