Political Science Lecturer Robin Johnson from Monmouth College recently spoke to the Monmouth Rotarians at their monthly meeting about the election and politics in 2020/2021. One area of concern that Johnson feels needs to be addressed is the direction and impact Facebook and Twitter have had on false or misleading information:
“Through social media, it is really becoming a cancer on this country and is threatening the foundation of educated citizens upon which a democracy depends. Really, the stakes are enormous here moving ahead. We’ve got some very deep problems in this country and I think that is one of them, which we are going to have to address. I think to hate of any type of censorship, but I think where Twitter and Facebook are going with this, it is necessary. They are going to have to clamp down on it and I am not comfortable with it, but I think the alternative is worse. It was an unprecedented turnout for the election, which is great for our democracy in one sense, but if it based on a foundation of lies and misinformation spread, that is more concerning and it is something we are going to have to address as a country in the years ahead.”
Johnson suggests that we should confront the misinformation on social media because our country’s democracy is at stake. Johnson also says Congress should invest in bi-partisan opportunities such as an infrastructure bill or rural broadband to help improve our country’s discourse.
