It’s ironic that government officials who probably never used social media are making the decision that TikTok is dangerous. The claim is that the Chinese who own that platform is somehow stealing user data and somehow gaining knowledge that can be used against us. We don’t pretend to understand how that might happen but the US Congress seems to think the possibility of misuse is real so recently it issued an ultimatum. Either sell the Chinese interest or face shutdown in the US. We honestly don’t know where this will be resolved. But it does seem to indicate that–at long last–someone in authority is starting to realize the potential danger of social media. What began as a terrific way to stay in touch has been perverted in so many ways to cause real harm. So–while we puzzle over the TikTok controversy–we applaud the attention it is bringing to the potential problems we experience daily from all forms of social media. Body shaming, bullying, teen suicide, bomb-making instructions, terrorist communications–all these dangers are within the scope of social media and there doesn’t seem to be a way to stop the nut jobs technically. Where it will end is anyone’s guess. Who will conflict with the freedom of speech and on what topic? Stay tuned.
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