I used to think that the Internet was our greatest invention and would bring prosperity and freedom of speech and equality.
I'm genuinely unsure at this point.
The current version of the Internet is defined by Big Tech monopolies that censor dissenting thought, that share user data with governments and other private institutions, and has become the opposite of what the Internet promised.
The current Internet is controlled by a few powerful corporations, and those powerful corporations are controlled by a small group of elites. These elites are best buds with most politicians.
Then there is the fact that many of these tech firms are run by consolidated groups of humans that think alike, many based in certain parts of California, and you see how political views seep into the actions these organizations take.
The very platforms founded on giving a voice to EVERYONE are now suppressing or outright banning those that think differently and challenge the status quo.
From an investor's perspective, these platform tech companies are great because they are monopolies. As much as I dislike government intervention in commerce, this is a case where I pray for a dismantling of these consolidated power centers in the hopes that a more decentralized and balanced Internet rises in the wake.
Here are some things you should look into to find countless articles:
YouTube censors X
Google censors
YouTube bans
Twitter bans
Facebook bans
Now consider where you get most of your information.
If you are young, you may not own a TV or have cable. So it's likely you get 100% of your "news" from social media platforms and whatever information they decide to serve you up. (They decide what you see. You do not.)
Now consider how most Americans get their information and how easy it is to manipulate views. A few clicks here, a few clicks there, a few ads sent to millions, a few removals citing some "TOS violation", and so on.
George Orwell is turning in his grave.
Fortunately, there are ways you can fight back. Seek independent sources of information. Like, comment and share ideas you believe in, especially ones considered counter-culture or counter mainstream. Support producers that challenge the status quo. Challenge bad ideas around cancel culture and other distorted views rooted in fairy tale land (go to Twitter to find these running amuck).
Finally, the most powerful idea we can hope to get to the masses is the idea that freedom of speech is the most important thing we must protect. As a result, whether we like it or not, we MUST respect the rights of those we don't agree with to share their message.
Instead, what most people do is hear something they don't like then proceed to attack the source of that information and then block and unfollow, and sometimes, call others to do the same.... all as a means of ego and belief protection.
This is human nature, sure, and is part of the reason we have this mess in the first place. So we must curb our natural tendencies to tribalism and Us vs. Them mentalities. The elite loves playing on these narratives.
This behavior is how we get an ever-growing divide and polarization. If we keep this up, America will crumble. I genuinely wish I was exaggerating.
We are already far down this path. I just hope we can find a fork in the road before it's too late.