Freedom vs Responsibility: Why Does One Come at the Cost of the Other?
Kids are in danger!
The pursuit of freedom is a common goal among humanity. Having the capacity to select tactics and come up with resolutions independently, without external influences, is what defines this trait. However, freedom has its costs, the lack of responsibility. It’s easy to overlook the repercussions of our actions when granted with freedom to do as we please Without responsibilities, freedom can lead to chaos and destruction.
Topics:
1- The different types of freedom: Personal, Social, and political, and the danger of each one
2- scenarios where exercising freedom might lead to irresponsible behavior.
3- Societal restrictions on freedom can ensure responsibility.
4- How do I find the balance
The different types of freedom: Personal, Social, and political, and the danger of each one
For me, freedom can be characterized into 3 main types: personal, social, and political. I find personal freedom to be the safest type that allows individuals to make choices and pursue their interests without interference. I find it to be the safe one because it is usually carried out in private settings and you know, no harm comes to society from private activities.
Social freedom is the freedom to participate in collective activities, such as participating in a protest or joining a club. This one is initially safe as it ensures human-to-human interactions that create empathy, compassion, and unity. However, it can become harmful to society when the pursued collective activities are not suitable for all age groups, both genders or all races. For instance, wokeness protests aren’t healthy for infants and kids to watch. Moreover, I also find social freedom to be harmful when activities become violent.
Then there’s political freedom, this one is the freedom to participate in the political process, such as voting and running for office. It will either give headaches to people or be a source of joy, depending on the outcome of one’s opinions on political matters. Here I am not saying that it causes headaches when others have different opinions than ours, and creates joy when everyone is on the same page; I believe that we humans must accept each other’s differences and be welcoming to diversity. But sometimes, under the umbrella of political freedom, people might even advocate for the most hideous things, such as labeling child pornography, and pedophilia as normal sexual orientations that need to be accepted and tolerated by society. A Pennsylvania Department of Corrections sex therapist and counselor, has defended pedophiles and called for the term “minor-attracted persons.”
scenarios where exercising freedom might lead to irresponsible behavior
Furthermore, aside from the scenarios I have stated in the preceding passages, I would like to include the reckless usage of social media platforms. Although children under 13 are legally not permitted to have social media accounts (this standard doesn’t convince me and I’ll tell you why) and parents are carefully monitoring their child’s activity on these platforms and fostering open discussions about its usage. It is still essential to recognize that the responsibility should not rest solely on parents. The entire community, including creators, needs to participate in this process.
First of all that 13-year-old standard doesn’t convince me, 13-year-olds are early adolescents who are still building their personalities and are at a very high risk of bad influence.
Content creators, who have a high influence on social media, have to consider the potential effect of their content on teens. They can promote positive values, empower mindful behavior, and raise mindfulness around the dangers related to careless social media usage. In addition, social media companies need to add strict regulations on their platforms, because nowadays, it seems like those who are doing the “say it or shot it” challenges (irresponsible use of alcohol), the “giving my — an edible to see their reaction” videos are the ones going viral. This makes me think that a lot of changes need to be done to the algorithms of these platforms.
How do I find the balance?
During the period when I used to publish content on social media, I would frequently ponder over a fundamental question: How would individuals who are 13 years of age and vulnerable communities (including kids who are above 13 but not mature enough)interpret this content? It goes without saying that if I deemed the content to be unsuitable for this demographic, I refrained from posting it. In order to maintain appropriate conduct, I exercise discretion when choosing to share information publicly, including on social media, as well as when interacting with my peers outside. This involves a conscious effort to behave and communicate in a manner that aligns with social norms and expectations.
