I’ve learned things about myself on social media that I wasn’t aware of until someone mentioned them. Social media connects people and opinions, but it can also be a battlefield filled with fake news, political agendas and gossip. A simple “he said, she said” incident meant that I needed to say that I didn’t say that, but that someone claimed I did. Since then, my social media profiles have been private – and my trust circle is smaller. If someone has a question about my personal life again, google it.
An increasing number of people are leaving their X and migrating to alternative social media platforms where they feel more trust and respect. What does this mean for social media users, and how does this affect readers who get most of their news about the world from social media? Here’s what you should know about the social media migration, and how your chosen social media profile affects what you’re seeing.
Social networking: Personal lives and careers
Social media has evolved into an important facet of our personal lives and careers. Unless you’re deliberately staying off the grid, it’s likely that you have at least one social networking profile; most people maintain several profiles or check into more than one website. We use social media to build career contacts, to maintain personal connections and to scroll through timelines or content. Celebrities and corporations understand its value and rely on social media as a powerful form of advertising and promotion. However, spending five minutes or more on any social media website will also show you what else networking can be used for.
Social media is meant to promote freedom of speech, but has increasingly filled up with hate speech, propaganda, gossip and fake news. Where social media websites are supposed to be safe spaces, they can also fast become the opposite. For an intentional smear campaign or nasty rumour, social media websites can be used to fuel the fire. Good things can go viral, but bad things might, too – and unchecked hearsay or situations without context could be famous in ten minutes or less. Social media connects people and amuses us with memes, but never forget that social media is the Big Brother you’ve never wanted. There are plenty of cartoons and cat pictures, but users should also expect to find catfishing and cyberbullying.
Leaving your X
Once popular and known as Twitter, the website now called X is rapidly losing users. PEN International, Elton John, Ben Stiller, Bette Midler and Jack White have all moved away from X. Of course, the list extends beyond celebrities and influencers; millions of regular users have also abandoned their X accounts, feeling that the site isn’t as user-friendly as it should be.
Musk purchased the X.com domain from United States cybersecurity and tech experts. It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that Twitter turned into the billionaire’s personal playground and a battlefield for anyone with an opinion. X.com has tipped the scales, and the far-right side seems a little heavier. Studies show an increase in hate speech since Elon Musk’s October 2022 acquisition.
Could it be that X.com isn’t just about free speech anymore? Seemingly fewer accounts are getting banned for posting controversial or hateful content. Allowing people like Andrew Tate or Kanye West their platform is arguably not merely promoting free speech – it’s giving the far right their reach. Unless you agree with Elon Musk, Kanye West or Hitler, you may find that you enjoy your time on X a lot less. Media outlets, celebrities and regular users are choosing their way out to alternative social media platforms.
X.com has, for some, become the bad side of the neighbourhood – where you drive through without looking around, just in case you upset someone on their turf. There’re some pretty nasty things written on the walls in both instances. Congratulations, Elon Musk, you’ve turned X.com into what feels like the internet’s first social media gang war.
What are the alternatives?
From Meta to Myspace
Meta is a social media umbrella that includes Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads. While still popular, Meta has been accused of a shift towards a far-right user base, and has chosen to end its third-party fact-checking in the USA. Outside the USA, this practice is still in place, though.
In the USA, Meta platforms aren’t considered a “safe space” for many groups, including LGBTQIA users, as language and keywords that could be harmful won’t be flagged in future. In South Africa, many fear the same, since borders are fluid and the negativity toward diversity, including LGBTQIA communities, in the USA is potentially dangerous for users in other countries as well. We are in South Africa, but we are bombarded with hateful posts from the USA on X. Will Meta be able to protect us? Ironically, instead of offering free speech, Meta’s platforms are causing some of their users to leave, feeling that their own rights and views are restricted, as are their rights to be protected from harm.
Social media sites like WhatsApp and Facebook have also become primary means of communication and advertising for gangsters and drug dealers. If you’re on an addiction recovery group, for example, you might be targeted by a drug dealer as their next perfect client. Appear single, and you may end up with a catfish scammer in your inbox. (Hint: privatise your profiles.)
According to VICE, WhatsApp moderators see everything from physical violence to severe abuse. Content is allegedly not always taken down for violating terms, and must generally be flagged in other ways before it gets to a human moderator’s eyes.
Illegal or inappropriate content is easy enough to sneak through social media filters and past moderators. For example, keywords that appear in unexpected languages or code are less likely to be flagged. The trick can be used by scammers, but also unfortunately by predators who don’t want to be found. Multiple news outlets have reported that child predators use particular emojis as a code among themselves – and, no, they’re probably not the only criminals who are doing it.
The rule is: see something, say something. If you’ve seen something inappropriate or illegal on your social media timeline, report it – first to the social media website, and next to regional or international law enforcement. Clean up the digital streets, or things will only get worse from here.
Separate social media
Social media alternatives like Bluesky are drawing users in and presenting a platform away from scammers and far-right opinions. Media outlets and celebrities have already begun to make the switch, alongside many past users from X and Meta.
People getting their news from social media want to be sure their news is accurate. Users who want social media to be their safe space for friends and family are taking some of their control back by switching to sites with different, friendlier terms – and perhaps better moderation, too.
Bluesky, Discord and Myspace give users more control over their circles, and fewer ads for political concepts or religions they don’t need. There’s less room for targeted abuse, and inappropriate comments are more likely to be removed instead of encouraged.
Myspace started in 2003 and lost some of its popularity as a social media network around the same time Facebook went bigger. However, with Facebook’s declining numbers and users looking for alternatives to Meta, Myspace is seeing a comeback with approximately six million users and counting.
Has the world become so polarised that people need separate social media channels? Unfortunately, yes, so lock your digital doors up tight and be careful who you believe on social media.
