Social Media Is Not Our Friend

Summary

The article discusses the rise of Parler as a conservative social media alternative to Facebook and Twitter, expressing concern over the potential negative impact on civil discourse and the spread of misinformation.

Abstract

Parler, a new social media platform, has seen a surge in conservative users since the presidential election, with many seeking refuge from what they perceive as censorship on mainstream platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The platform markets itself as a free speech haven, yet it is observed to be popular among right-wing politicians and extremists, suggesting it may serve as a right-wing echo chamber. The article raises concerns that the migration of conservatives to Parler could lead to a decrease in civil discourse and the opportunity to flag false or dangerous content, which is currently done by Facebook and Twitter. The author fears that this trend could further polarize society by segregating political discourse and limiting the exchange of ideas across the political spectrum. While the future of Parler remains uncertain, the author emphasizes the importance of being exposed to diverse viewpoints and the need to remain vigilant in seeking out all sides of a story.

Opinions

The author believes that the trend of conservatives moving to Parler is negative, as it may reduce the opportunity for civil discourse between differing political ideologies.
Parler is seen as catering to a right-wing base and could potentially become a mainstream platform for fringe conspiracy theories, similar to 8chan.
The article suggests that Facebook and Twitter's content moderation, including flagging false information, is misinterpreted by some conservatives as censorship.
There is a concern that the polarization of social media platforms will lead to a lack of exposure to opposing viewpoints, which is detrimental to a healthy democratic society.
The author is skeptical about Parler's commitment to fact-checking and maintaining the integrity of information shared on its platform.
The author advocates for the importance of hearing all sides of a story to prevent the further division of society along political lines.

And Parler is proving that point

Monument Rocks National Natural Monument — Photo by Author

You’ve probably seen the reports about Parler, the new social media application that is the darling of conservatives “tired of Facebook and Twitter’s censorship”. Parler has gained millions of new subscribers since the presidential election.

And with GOP politicians and far-right extremists flocking to the app, it certainly appears that this is a right-wing alternative to Twitter.

In my mind this is a bad trend. If conservatives move off of Facebook and Twitter to Parler, then the chance of civil discourse decreases. Both Facebook and Twitter have, to some extent, been able to flag posts that are false, very misleading or downright dangerous. We have yet to see if Parler will do any diligence with the facts, but early indications are not promising.

I have heard some say that Parler may become a “legitimate” clone of 8chan (or whatever its called today) and be a mainstream outlet for fringe conspiracy theories.

Whether any of this happens is yet to be seen, but I contend that conservatives moving away from Twitter and Facebook is bad. I believe that we lose out when we only see one side of the story, whether we agree or not with the other side. If the right is on one outlet and the left is on another and ideas never get exchanged then the fear is that we will continue to grow farther and farther apart.

I can’t seem to convince my conservative friends that Facebook and Twitter are only removing false information, not censoring thought. But they are convinced that the two social media giants are evil towards the right.

Perhaps this is just a phase and Parler will fade out after a few weeks, but we must remain diligent to assure that we all are hearing all sides of the many stories out there.