Right Sizing My Social Media Feels Right for Now

Image courtesy of British Cycling Ban Social Media Campaign

Professor Joe Goldblatt

It began with hate speech about immigrants and then it quickly turned to Israel and soon after to the Jewish people.

I was first surprised and then shocked that social media owners such as Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram) and Elon Musk (X formerly known as Twitter) allowed such evil falsehoods to populate their site’s pseudo democratic platforms. My shock soon turned to frustration and then righteous anger.

I recently noted that Musk in an interview with a notorious far right US television presenter joked and laughed about the possibility of the first female person of colour candidate for US President potentially being assasinated. They both giggled like school boys when Musk said “Nobody is even trying to kill Kamala. What do you achieve? It is pointless!”

This was the moment I announced I would be leaving X for greener pastures. Having previously departed Facebook due to the increasing land mines of hate speech ranging from mysogyny to islamophobia, homophobia, and anti semitism, I immediately realised that the moment I witnessed two white male multi – millionaires capriciously laughing about the potential assasination of the current first ever female black Vice President of the United States, my stomach would not tolerate this behaviour any further.

During the past decade of so I, like billions of others, have benefitted from the free access to social media platfoms by reuniting me with old friends and allowing me to occassionally learn about new causes and conditions around the world where I may be helpful. However, the potential harm from the threat of assasination of a public figure outweighed all of the positive benefits and opportunities from this medium.

Therefore, effective 31 October 2024 I shall now temporarily depart X and solely concentrate my social media dialogue with others through the well moderated LinkedIn platform (@professorjoegoldblatt) or my social media website at joe@joegoldblatt.scot. I do not know if others will follow me, however, since I made this announcement a few friends and acquaintances have applauded my decision. Others have said I should remain and fight.

I am afraid that fighting these techno robber barons is fruitless and only future regulation may save us from the irreparable harm they are doing to current and future generations. I do not wish to contribute to their insidious efforts to manipulte algorithyms with hate speech that have shown a direct correlation with violent behaviour by troubled individuals.

So, I am sitting this era out for now. I may still be reached and welcome dialogue over a face to face modern style cup, dram, or even, full glass of your favourite libation. However, until the government finds a way to regulate without harming, free speech I shall now increasingly look forward to the postie each day who might occassionally bring me a hand written note from an old friend. Although this is getting rarer and rarer, I am not giving up.

I have hope that the vast majority of friends within my universe are sensible enough to know how to reach me when needed, whether with a warm voice at the end of a phone line or a card or letter and if that does not work, I shall see you in what is becoming for me the old fashioned tools of email, text messaging, my website, or for now at least, LinkedIn.

Professor Joe Goldblatt is Emeritus Professor of Planned Events at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland. His views are his own. To learn more about his views please visit his website at www.joegoldblatt.scot

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