The Trouble with Social Media

Scientific temper and nuance are two qualities that seem to be lost in the modern age. Despite the technological advancements made by human society, we seem to be moving towards an age of misinformation and reactionary behaviour. While it is undoubtedly true that advances in technology, especially information technology, have allowed for a more interconnected and prosperous world, its social effects are concerning. These inverse trajectories of the economic and the social become starkly visible when we see companies like Amazon and Facebook prosper, while simultaneously, we witness a rise in instances of online bullying and harassment.

During the dawn of the internet and social media in the early 2010s, many had hoped that it would lead to a more equitable and multicultural world, but this has not been the case. Today, social media has become a space that exacerbates anxieties, hate, misinformation, and addiction. What complicates the situation even more is the fact that social media is notoriously difficult to regulate. No government can directly police this space, as that would be harmful to free speech, and hence the responsibility of regulation falls on private companies and the users themselves. Unfortunately, these companies have found it difficult to curb these tendencies. In fact, measures adopted by companies like YouTube have been controversial and often counterproductive. Added to this are concerns regarding data privacy, which major companies have repeatedly failed to address.

The real-world ramifications of these issues were clearly visible in a report published by the International Tennis Federation and the Women’s Tennis Association. This report, on online abuse, analysed 4,200 accounts that used abusive language towards athletes. The report found that the bulk of the abuse was directed at five players. Alarmingly, most of these posts were made by angry gamblers, according to the report. Here, it is pertinent to mention that various influential online sports accounts are often sponsored by gambling companies. This has led to a rise in the number of individuals willing to gamble, in turn, giving rise to the incidents mentioned in the report by the ITF and WTA. On a similar note, the online space has become a fertile ground for companies to advertise products which would otherwise not be carried in traditional media outlets. As most of the regulation regarding online advertisements remains lenient, to say the least, these companies are able to mischaracterise their products.

The online space has also become a breeding ground for misinformation. This has led to situations where people have, based on information online, refused to take vaccines. These tendencies are further exacerbated by the fact that the algorithms employed by social media companies often fuel the false biases of individuals by suggesting video content that aligns with their beliefs rather than facts. Lastly, the impact of social media on mental health is also adverse, as seen in the tragic suicide of influencer Misha Agrawal, who was distressed by dwindling followers. The internet and social media present numerous challenges to modern society, despite their usefulness, and it is high time we begin addressing them.