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An increased interdependence on social media as a medium for the diffusion of information aligned with an accelerated pace of technological advancements has led to a crisis in communication and the monopolization of the means for self-expression.
Throughout the course of the previous decade, the rise of social media platforms and the subsequent formation of large media conglomerates contributed directly to a reform of epistemic circulation. This phenomenon elevated interconnectedness and the spread of knowledge on an ample scale in an unprecedented timely manner. Accordingly, journalism was subjected to drastic changes because of a push for quickly digestible forms of content.
The shift from print to digital is instrumental to the downfall of physical media. This lack of tangible articles provides opportunities for a much quicker manipulation of information, often to distort events to benefit a dominant idea.
Big tech companies like Meta have repeatedly influenced different industries, including that of journalism, in order to maximize profits. ‘Pivot to Video’ reflects an impulse from these corporations to shift attention to their products as a more sophisticated and effective means to communicate to an audience, which does not hold as a definitive truth.
Moreover, the commonly employed false pretext of widespread access to a platform is rather an obfuscation of a much more complex and unsettling reality: social media platforms will not distribute content from news outlets or creators evenly, but rather suppress the reach of ideas from small profiles or those associated with political topics that diverge from the interests of a particular business.
Nevertheless, the spread of hate comments is often permitted under the justification of freedom of speech, which is constantly violated, showcasing a regime that serves the main interests of CEOs. Such a strategy does not envision the establishment of “safe spaces”, but instead promotes conflict for the sake of engagement and profit.
The creation of such a belligerent environment within the internet is recurrently translated into real life, not being too distant from Avonworth’s own reality. Excessive exposition to a particular discourse facilitates the radicalization of individuals, contributing to hostile behavior that forces students to constantly fear persecution and judgment.
Additionally, the school district, much like other facets of society, has experienced significant changes in the ways we engage with media and produce journalistic content. In an interview for this editorial, journalism teacher Mr. Tuffiash pointed out a significant drop in student interest in reporting during the year of 2016, which aligns with an intense push for social media videos as a medium for human narratives, including those of students.
Such a trend permeated school grounds up until 3-4 years later, when, during the pandemic, a group of passionate students coordinated themselves in order to provide exceptional journalism content. Their efforts played a central role in reanimating a local pursuit of stories centered around the daily life of our very own community, incentivizing others to pursue such an interest and express themselves based upon an immediate surrounding, which anecdotally reflects broader societal events and global issues.
Nevertheless, as technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and VR headsets begin are bombarded to consumers through incessant advertising, it becomes imperative to critically analyze said dynamic through a myriad of perspectives; that is, we must not merely exist as observers, but rather actively seek out for a contextual understanding of the implementation of “innovations”, as they may exclusively benefit a select group of individuals at the detriment of a larger majority.
In conclusion, conversations about the regulation of technology in a modern age from a philosophical point of view are indispensable in order to protect the essence of human storytelling and assertiveness. It is only through the moral comprehension of morals within cyberspaces and quotidian applications that we are able to maintain a productive means of connectivity and artistic expression, without diminishing awareness of reality and our ability to spearhead stories.
