Is social media shaping world politics and is populist agenda now more important than democrasy?

Faust

Governments could quite easily take action to block such websites - China appear to manage this.

What you appear not to take account re: online bullying is that the victims themselves quite often do not confide in their families about just what is happening to them.  To say 'easy just change your password' is to miss the point.

I myself used to shout out loud whenever I read about online bullying 'don't go online I'd say, close your account then you can't be hurt by this behaviour'.  However, it appears to be far more complex than I realised.  Children live their lives online and don't want to be isolated from their peers.  There's also the issue of self-esteem.  The victims often end up believing that somehow this is their fault so they deserve the abuse.

It never ceases to amaze me how many victims of domestic abuse stay with their abusive partners.  Looking at it from the outside any rational person would shake their heads and claim the victim must be stark staring mad.  It is however far more complex than that, rationality is totally absent.  The victim often believes the abuser loves them and it must somehow be their fault and so they must try harder not to displease their abuser.

These two awful behaviours have many things in common and in the case of children it can and often does affect them for the rest of their lives.  It moulds their future behaviour.

Sonic67

Tor Browser

The Tor software protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location, and it lets you access sites which are blocked.

If I knew this I'm sure the yoof does.

Faust

But I'm not advocating blocking the sites, I was suggesting the governments where the businesses are based should shut them down.

After all what is social media - it's the modern day digital equivalent of gossiping over the garden fence and as most of us know, this type of gossip is invariably malicious or sensationalist.

Rocinate

Are yes, fine fellows the Chinese government, free speech and liberal thinking, the Chinese fire wall was only intended to protect the innocents of their all citizens, unintended consequences or accidentally on purpose unintended consequences as night followed day, keep all politicians policy away from social media, just tax them more appropriately.

Who knew, next most watched TV, soaps feed into the desire to gossip about others. And before social media  the pub for the husband and the garden fence for the wife. Gossiping bullying all natural human behaviour for some, unfortunate nasty traits but there we are..

And sat alone isolated from peers 100 years ago is no different.  As for social media, sure it gives bullies access but they have always needed access, you under play any potential skills to avert bullies, like blocking, restricting who sees what about you. Social media can also offer undeniable evidence against the bullies.

Faust

I think you’re looking at this through the eyes of an adult, not a child/adolescent. There’s a world of difference, particularly for this current generation who have grown up in the digital age.

Rocinate

They also develop the skills to manage the negatives that social media can offer just like everything else in the big bad world. There are so many social media places to go to now, it's easy to create a safe place for yourself  Just won't accept that social media is problem per say, it's individuals that miss use it, no special name is needed for bullies and their delivery methods. Also think it's a bit of myth that younger people live their lives just in social media, sure TV and Papers what us all to believe it, but my observations tells a much more nuanced young modern life.

Sonic67

When I was a kid I found porn, cigarettes and alcohol.

You can try and protect them as much as you like, it won't work. Kids will just go on sites meant for adults.

Funny how you use social media to attack social media.

Pacifico

Do you really want the Government determining what you are allowed to say and with whom?. We already see the start of this in the US were the social media providers do their best to prevent right leaning websites and bloggers being heard. To allow only government 'approved' sources of news and information would be a disaster.

Faust

Giving a person the tools to do a job doesn't make them a craftsman.  Leave it to the professionals. I would rather recieve my news from a professionally accredited source (even taking into account political bias) than some back woodsman hick with an axe to grind.

IronGiant

So don't read them then