Is Social Media Public Discourse On The Rise?

Amid the continued battles over the internet weeks after the horrific event of the Kirk murder, some Instagram and Facebook followers are choosing to delete their accounts while others continue to stir the pot spewing hatred and engaging in online disputes. Some may refer to it as “public discourse” while critics argue there is nothing, we can do about it, so why do we care?

Managing Editor for MRC TV at the Media Research Center, Brittany Hughes pointed to the countless videos showing people laughing and even celebrating the murder of Charlie Kirk.

“It was horrible to watch. I think it kind of makes a lot of people come face to face with just how many people out there feel comfortable, spewing that kind of hatred; but at the end of the day, social media doesn’t make you a bad person, social media gives you an outlet to be a bad person if you already are one.” Hughes said.

The media expert says online users do not have to make it an “all or nothing” choice regarding the removal of their profiles. “If you are the kind of person who just absolutely cannot go to sleep at night and it is 11:30pm at night and people are just wrong on the internet, look, I promise you, they’re going to be wrong at 8:30am in the morning. Put your phone down- the internet will be there tomorrow.” She explained.

The media expert also pointed to the positives of social media: such as the ability to share information, the convenience for users to connect virtually, the ability to disseminate information from multiple sources versus being spoon fed what the legacy media wants viewers to believe and now these beliefs can be challenged. It is all in how you use the platform, and it must be used in a healthy way.

Hughes recommends implementing safeguards for yourself and establishing guidelines for children with increased parental involvement when it comes to social media.

“It is all in how you use it. I think one of the things that society has lost over the years is the ability to take personal responsibility for the things you do, the things you say, how you spend your time, it doesn’t have to be- all or nothing- but you must be responsible in how you use it and be responsible for what you let your kids consume.” Hughes said.