Editor:

Facebook is being sued by the Federal Trade Commission and various state Attorney Generals for antitrust behavior. Whether you agree that Facebook’s social media dominance has reached the point of antitrust or not, I do think that Facebook deserves regulatory scrutiny for refusing to regulate fake news on its platform, take seriously the level of abuse and cyberbullying that it permits, and generally just treating consumers like profit centers instead of real people seeking to connect with each other and the world.

Facebook is responsible for the mass brainwashing of millions of Americans in the electorate. Its complete disregard for the content that is posted on its platform has led to real harm in the real world. Facebook’s unfettered greed and lax data vending polices have compromised American democracy and made our election security vulnerable to foreign actors hostile towards our nation.

On the other hand, social media in general is credited with increasing users’ compassion and generosity towards nonprofits, especially when people can see the suffering that the nonprofits are attempting to remedy firsthand via pictures and videos on the platform.

On a personal note, I don’t think I would’ve become a vegan if it weren’t for social media. I had no understanding of the level of suffering of farm animals in our food chain until I saw it firsthand on social media. I credit Facebook with connecting me to organizations that educated me about animal rights and the injustices that nonhuman sentient beings face in this incredibly cruel world that we have created for them.

There are innumerable voices that lack the money and influence to buy their way into traditional media sources to reach the public. Yet any of these individuals or organizations have the chance to “go viral” and reach millions of people via social media platforms like Facebook. Some might argue that this is a pernicious effect of social media, since it has increased polarization as content creators go to greater extremes to get attention. Yet, just as often, this aspect of social media has led communities all over the world to come together and elevate the most vulnerable and isolated members of our societies. Think of the cute kid who is suffering from a rare disease or needs a transplant, the cute picture of an abandoned animal at a local rescue who needs to be adopted, etc.

In terms of social justice, the massive impact of social media on highlighting the experiences of marginalized members of our society is hard to quantify. #BlackLivesMatter may not have gone mainstream in the way it has if people could not see footage of innocent victims like George Floyd being murdered before their very eyes.

While I would not mind seeing the power of tech giants like Facebook checked by regulatory agencies in our government, I cannot condemn the bad that social media platforms have wrought on our society without also acknowledging the good that they do. The story of Facebook and social media in general is complicated, full of successes and failures at a global level. Facebook and its ilk have transformed who we are as a people. I don’t know if there is any turning back.

Jenna Nand
Edmonds