Social media is taking a big hit right now. Especially Facebook. There is a lot of information out there that has been misused and I do think that we need to do something about it. But at the same time, we shouldn’t be going crazy over this. With the speed that technology grows this is another learning experience for everyone.
I really do think that the President needs to utilize the private sector more and get the top thinkers in the industry together and have them provide the solutions and rules to ensure that our data isn’t breached. Congress needs to stay out of it. They have too many self-interests to ensure that it’s done right.
My real concern is with the promotion of hate and violence on the Internet. Read the article “’No Hate, No Violence Can Change The World”. It seems to me that so many of the bad things that happen in the world get traced back to something on the Internet or social media.
A kid shoots down kids in his her school. We find out that he had things posted on his social media depicting violence and other disturbing images. We find out that they have been bullied on social media. We find out that their posts show an obsession with death. The list goes on. There are so many indicators, yet no one does anything.
We hear about the Internet trolls whose sole purposes are to make people’s lives miserable. They give the Internet and themselves a bad name. Read the Time Magazine article “Why We’re Losing the Internet to the Culture of Hate”. But it’s also being used to recruit for hate groups. The Internet is a much cheaper recruiting tool for them and it’s easier to “cast stones” at someone when you don’t have to look them in the eye. It’s scary.
There are algorithms for data mining. There must be an Internet version of a ‘neighborhood crime watch’. If we really do have ‘big brother’ out there watching us, then let’s start making him work for us.
What are your thoughts?
