Mary Bullard: Avoiding 'twitterpation' on social media
The word “twitterpated” was coined by Disney in the 1942 movie “Bambi.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as overly excited or anxious. Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social media platform, Twitter, free speech has been headlining news and causing some “twitterpation.” Musk censored critics, suspended some accounts and reinstated others. Election deniers, conspiracy theorists and those spreading COVID-19 misinformation are back. So what are the parameters of free speech? What are the concerns and questions?
The freedom to express our ideas and opinions was key to our Founding Fathers. The First Amendment provides the right to voice opinions or ideas without fear of retaliation or censorship from the government. There are limitations: you are not allowed to harm others to get what want, you can’t deceive someone or threaten them, you can’t misrepresent the truth, and you can’t slander someone. But how does this apply on privately owned communication?
Social discourse has been around as long as the spoken word. Human beings have always sought ways to talk about ideas and opinions over a distance. Communication by smoke signals and drums began thousands of years ago. The Roman emperor Tiberius sent signaling messages with metal mirrors to reflect the sun.
Fast forward. The first email was sent in 1965, and from there online communication proliferated. Sites like SixDegrees and LinkedIn offer monitored online space to professional groups. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat expanded online opportunities to post not only text but photos and videos. Tumblr offers microblogging, videos, text, fan fiction and art. Whatsapp provides instant messaging, text and video calls, and document sharing. One of the latest social media sites to launch, Truth Social, focuses on news slanted to right-wing politics.
The platform policies on acceptable posts are confusing. Who runs them? What are their standards? Which ones are safe to use? Are postings fact-checked? And does the social media app allow postings that are intentionally malicious.
For example, Mastodon is clear on its guidelines. Members must agree to their user policy which prohibits comments that are racist, sexist and transphobic. The wildly popular Chinese-based TikTok bans videos that feature self-harm, nudity, violence and dangerous challenges. However, security concerns have led to this app being banned from at least 17 state and possibly all federal devices. Without some limits, social media apps can become not only offensive but dangerous.
Social media has become part of our lives. Online forums allow interest groups to connect with one another. Families and friends maintain communication. Having many avenues for discourse reflects our diversity. However, when used to abuse, convey misinformation or incite violence, it endangers us all. Many social media users worry about the imminent loss of safe space to share ideas and information.
We may not be able to stop the downward trend of civility; however, we can be savvy about the social media platforms we choose to use. Investigate the rules and restrictions before setting up accounts, safeguard your personal information and report postings that violate a platform’s policies. Parents need to monitor the sites their children use and teach online safety.
Should we be “twitterpated?” Let’s replace anxiety with concern, awareness and promote positive discourse in all our communications.
Mary Bullard is a former librarian who lives in Lambertville. She is a member of Stronger Together Huddle, a group that advocates for the common good of all. She can be reached at mcneil102@icloud.com
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Mary Bullard: Avoiding 'twitterpation' on social media
