Social progress is defined as the capacity of a society to establish the building blocks that allow citizens to enhance the quality of their lives. The media is a dominant indicator of social progress nowadays and it is conclusive that social media’s audience across the world gives individuals new responsibilities and risks. Due to the effects and influence of social media on the public, free speech cannot be preserved in modern-day society. Social media regulation is inevitable and free speech in a world controlled by social media cannot occur due to censorship of the content that the reader sees. Whether the government intervenes or not, free speech in social media will always be censored to some degree. Freedom of speech implies the opportunity for the dissipated expression of the opposite views.
The “marketplace of ideas” refers to “the test of the truth or acceptance of ideas depends on the competition of one another and not on the opinion of a censor from an authority” (Middle Tennessee University). Social media imposes censorship which does not encourage the free flow of ideas, and therefore violates the First Amendment, so free speech cannot transpire. Societal and governmental pressure has restrained free speech ambitions to the point where the regulation of social media is inevitable. The Elonis v. U.S. case is the first instance that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that involved “the constitutionality of prosecuting potential threats in a social media context” (United States Courts). Just like the Elonis v. U.S. case, every new communications technology undergoes the same evolutionary process that ultimately concludes with regulation from authorities. This type of regulation is designed to persuade these communicative outlets into shaping society towards the ends we believe are most productive for society at the moment, therefore not allowing for expansive ideas on account of censorship. Some may speculate that social media allows for free expression on the platforms and that the First Amendment protects individuals from government censorship.
The First Amendment protects hate speech, obscenity, misinformation, and harassment from government censorship which allows for free speech on social media.“The First Amendment doesn’t apply to private companies… and not all speech is protected under the First Amendment. Libel, incitement of violence, and child pornography are all forms of speech, yet we censor them” (NYTimes). Social media platforms are private companies and can censor what people post on their websites, but these limitations can be used as a form of subjugation and oppression by authorities. Nevertheless, censorship remains one of the most noteworthy threats when it comes to the First Amendment. The development of processing technologies changes the media and communication systems. The amount of influence that social media has on the public changes and manipulates the users in violation of the First Amendment. These new systems create a contingency for the jurisdiction of the freedom of speech and the risks of the distribution of false information.
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Censorship and the First Amendment Essay.
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