Chapter 6 Prompt

“How I can be a better person?” is a question we might ask ourselves from time to time. When you say something mean to a friend, you tend to know the negative impact those words can have on people’s lives. So, why do we sometimes still say hurtful things anyway? Why do we post harmful statements online? Most people know right from wrong. Right?

During the height of the pandemic, there seemed to be a moment when everyone was “being nice,” empathizing with others and showed more kindness. But that kindness was short-lived and quickly replaced by a backlash of nasty language, frequently in the form of cyberbullying. This kind of speech is often reflected in our political landscape.

So, specifically, why do we tend to behave badly on social media? (saying things online we might never say in person…) How do we conduct ourselves on platforms like Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram? Who is responsible for policing disinformation and offensive content or racist material on those platforms? How do we, as individuals, contribute to the ongoing issues of cyberbullying? What obligation do social media platforms give to the greater good? How can one become a better person in a world full of hate speech and cyberbullying? What would Socrates or Plato make of social media?