Social Media Ethics and Manipulation: LJ 6

PART 1. Social Media Laws and Ethics

The information presented this week is a thorough and useful tool for comprehending the moral and legal ramifications of using social media. It covers a wide range of subjects, including online reputation management, intellectual property, cyberbullying, and privacy regulations. 

    If I'm being honest, I was previously aware of a lot of this information, so it hasn't really influenced me that much. Nevertheless, knowing this knowledge might have a huge impact on how someone uses social media and the internet for personal purposes. As a result, I have cut back on the amount of content I post on social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. It has helped me comprehend the potential repercussions of my actions, such as disclosing private information or engaging in online harassment.  I used to have a private story on Snapchat and nowadays I don’t have one nor do I post stories or send too many snaps. Regarding Instagram, I am always removing followers from my account since I want to feel safe and comfortable with who sees what I post. Besides, I do not reflect how many likes I have per photo since that just creates insecurities or gives people information so they can judge. Everything I post is because I want to share a moment I treasure, so I don’t care about people’s opinions.

    Knowing this information in a professional setting is essential, especially for people whose jobs require them to utilize social media. They might find it useful for navigating moral and legal dilemmas of social media use at work, such as employee surveillance and intellectual property infringement. Anyone who uses social media or the internet should be aware of the ethical and legal ramifications of their usage. It can support appropriate social media usage and assist people in making informed decisions.

PART 2. Discuss Social Media Lies and Propaganda.

    A difficult subject that has received prominence recently is that of propaganda, misinformation, disinformation, and fake news on social media. Numerous studies have demonstrated how quickly misinformation and disinformation can spread on social media platforms, resulting in fake news and propaganda that can have detrimental effects. The dissemination of false information during the 2016 US election was highlighted by Allcott and Gentzkow (2017), who note that "the most widely circulated fake news stories were those that portrayed Clinton negatively or Trump positively."

Furthermore, social media platforms have been discovered to incentivize misinformation, causing it to spread quicker and further than factual information (Allen, 2023). This behavior may cause people to misunderstand crucial topics, which could have serious societal repercussions. Schleffer (2021) claims that depending on how they are used, social media platforms can either support or destroy authoritarian governments and have varying political implications on various regime types.

It is crucial to keep in mind that bias on social media platforms stems from users as well as the platforms themselves (Bias on Twitter originates from users, not platform, says IU research, 2023). Users may only share and consume content that confirms their preconceived notions, which can result in the construction of "echo chambers" and increased polarization. The ease with which fake news and other types of propaganda may be produced and disseminated on social media exacerbates this issue.

Numerous fact checking and trust rating systems, such NewsGuard and Politifact, have been developed to counter the propagation of false information and propaganda on social media. Guides have also been developed to assist people in recognizing and staying away from manipulated videos and other types of fake news (Seeing isn't believing: The fact checker's guide to manipulated video, 2022).

As for my personal use of social media, being aware of how often propaganda and false news are on social media has inspired me to critically assess the material that I come across and look for trustworthy sources. I always try to research first by searching the profiles of the person or company that the news is about and see if they have said anything about the topic. This weekend at Coachella, the recognizable singer, Bad Bunny, mentioned how rumors are easily spread and manipulated by the media. He motivated people to be more conscious of what they read and who they are trusting that information that has spread out. The singer pointed out that only the subject of those rumors can address the truth of it. 

References:

Allcott, H., & Gentzkow, M. (2017). Social media and fake news in the 2016 election. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 31(2), 211-236. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.31.2.211

Allen, S. (2023, March 31). How social media rewards misinformation. Yale Insights. https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/how-social-media-rewards-misinformation

Bias on Twitter comes from users, not platform, says IU study. (2023). Research Impact. https://research.impact.iu.edu/key-areas/social-sciences/stories/social-media-platform-bias.html

Schleffer, G. (2021, August 18). The political effects of social media platforms on different regime types. Texas National Security Review. https://tnsr.org/2021/07/the-political-effects-of-social-media-platforms-on-different-regime-types/

Seeing isn't believing: The fact checker’s guide to manipulated video. (2022). The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/politics/fact-checker/manipulated-video-guide/?utm_term=.cd779e27a0d0&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

NewsGuard: The internet trust tool. (2023). NewsGuard. https://www.newsguardtech.com/

The Poynter Institute. (2022). Politifact. https://www.politifact.com/


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Unwrapping Data: LJ 2

 We live an unfulfilled life that is surrounded by social media, data, and anything else that is "internet-linked," as the reading "We Are Data" clearly explains. However, it doesn't begin by elaborating on the moral side (such as the issue of internet exposure of personal photos, body image, unattainable standards, etc.), but rather on how we are genuinely data. Our name and identity are saved on search engines like Google as plain, common data. He helps us see how we fit into an algorithm by opening our eyes to this. It is absurd to assume that we understand how our personal information is handled online when we are completely ignorant of its workings. As I read this, I was astounded at how ignorant I had been, especially on the algorithm and the saving of personal data. Online, we can't exactly close who we are. Since we are defined as a result of the websites and videos we have visited and viewed online, our hobbies and preferences may not actually come ...
Read more

POV: You are me expressing about Social Media :LJ1

Social media posting truly interests me. On my personal do's, I find myself more at ease blogging and sharing my daily activities on multiple social media platforms, which is one of my individual ambitions. I like to share travel adventures and details of my daily activities, such as going to the gym, having fun, and managing coursework (one in which I receive various responses from people who relate). Even though sharing details about your personal life on social media can be amusing, there should be boundaries and principles. Only my family and friends have access to my social media accounts since I keep them private.  Social media has, in my opinion, turned toxic. I recall when I first started publishing things online, I was twelve years old. Everyone shared their experiences in a really honest and natural way, and they didn't give any thought to how they looked. In today's world of beauty standards where everyone tries to conform to unattainable life standards, photogra...
Read more

Public Relations on Social Media: LJ7

     According to Lipschultz's "Social Media Communication," Chapter 4, social media has evolved into a vital instrument for public relations specialists to interact with their consumers, forge connections, and raise brand awareness. It has made it possible for PR professionals to communicate with stakeholders in both directions and reach a larger audience. Since I am quite private on social media, as I have already stated, I personally do not utilize social media to develop public relations. But if I ever needed to build professional relationships, social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram would be my first port of call.      Knowing how social media affects public relations has had a big impact on everyone's personal and professional use of social media, but influencers especially. Unexpectedly, I have a number of friends that leverage social media to enhance their reputations and personal brands. As a result, their businesses have si...
Read more