#Hashtag

“Social media is something of a double-edged sword. At its best, social media offers unprecedented opportunities for marginalized people to speak and bring much needed attention to the issues they face. At its worst, social media also offers ‘everyone’ an unprecedented opportunity to share in collective outrage without reflection.”
- Roxane Gay

In a world where it is possible for anyone to speak freely and openly about anything they’d like, it has become more and more obvious that the more freedom of speech people have access to, the more obnoxious the statements you find people arguing over.

While I do agree that Social Media is a tool that greatly allows this transaction of absurdity, I certainly would not label it as a ‘prime mover.’ After all, Social Media is simply the outcome of our society’s basic needs.

At this day and age, we ask for, cheer on, and applaud “freedom of speech.” It is the current needs of our society that shape the tools we end up using after all. And yes, while some might argue that the tools we shape, end up shaping us in return, and eventually, we end up shaping one another, let’s remember that they are only simple tools we’ve created to help us.

The problem isn’t in the tools we use, but the reason we use them.