Perry's Pen

I recently read an interesting article in the NY Times by Kim Scott entitled  What I Learned From My Days in Russia: Silicon Valley Needs to Start Speaking Out About Trump. Scott lived in Russia when Putin came to power, and in the article, she compares Trump’s clampdown on news, media, and information sharing in the USA with Putin’s clampdown on the same when he came to power.

Billionaires love their money more than their rights

Scott not only makes a case that tech billionaires ought to be more vocal about supporting freedom of speech (the First Amendment), but also argues that the reason the billionaires are not speaking out is that they are more fearful of losing their money than their rights.

Stop using social media to defund the tech billionaires?

A vibrant discussion developed in the comments section of the article, and Scott herself participated. Some people suggested that people stop using social media and other products that have made those tech billionaires and will soon make some trillionaires. Their reasoning being that that would “hit ‘em where it hurts, their wallets”.

---

I hold a contrarian opinion. Here it is:

I get where you’re coming from — the idea of starving the big platforms of our attention makes sense on one level. But I think it’s also important to weigh what we’d be giving up. Social media, for all its problems, is still one of the few places where regular people can circulate ideas and perspectives outside the mainstream media filter.

Sharing ideas and information brings it to audiences that need it the most

For example, if I share a video of Bernie Sanders and AOC explaining why Democrats are fighting to save the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and stop premiums from doubling, that might reach some of my MAGA friends who would never otherwise see or engage with that message. Without sharing, those conversations just stay siloed.

Disengaging risks handing them over entirely to the loudest, most extreme voices

I’m not saying we shouldn’t think critically about how much power tech billionaires hold, or that we shouldn’t explore alternatives and reforms. But totally disengaging from the platforms also risks handing them over entirely to the loudest, most extreme voices. Sometimes the best way to weaken their influence is not to disappear, but to use the tools in ways that actually broaden conversations and connect people who wouldn’t normally connect.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
– Dylan Thomas