Going back over 200 years ago, the Founding Fathers of the United States included freedom of speech, press, religion, and the right of peaceful assembly in our legal doctrine. In fact, these rights are all coupled under the very first amendment of the Bill of Rights. As we exercise these rights we should remember the words of Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt: “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.” Just as the liberty bell rings, let these words ring true as well.
As Americans, perhaps the time has come for us to see this right as not just a legal allowance but a privilege that comes with an invitation for us to be more humane and responsible for our use of language as we communicate in the world. In some countries, individuals do not have freedom of speech or other rights that fall under the United States’ First Amendment protection. Instead, there are countries that silence and censor voices of the public. So, as Americans having these rights, how might we best use them?
Voices of freedom hold great power. Even if an individual is merely using their voice, their words, to reiterate a funny joke heard earlier that day, their words carry an impact. As individuals, as humans sharing a world, our words can have a great impact on each other in both positive and negative ways. Sometimes people use their voice to speak against injustice and uplift those who are oppressed — for instance, think of the various civil rights movements throughout our history. Other times, people underestimate the power of their voice and use their words in irresponsible or flagrant ways — such as bullying or posting misleading information on social media. And sometimes, people even use their voices purposefully to harm, manipulate, or even dictate others. In all these ways, we each have a voice that impacts.
How might our freedom of speech extend to the rise of social media? In recent decades, social media has offered the opportunity for individuals to express their voices and opinions endlessly. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and X (formally known as Twitter) are filled with countless posts each expressing the views of millions worldwide. In the United States, people express their opinions across a variety of topics from the newest cooking trends to pop culture to politics. This has become a space for many people to be a part of numerous, important (and sometimes unimportant and goofy) conversations. Everybody’s voice deserves to be heard, and social media has become a place where that can happen. Even though this may seem like a wonderful opportunity for voices to grow and strengthen (and it undeniably is at times) there is a harmful seed within the world of social media that grows and spreads misinformation and disinformation in many forms – both social and political.
Unlike other media platforms, individuals can post almost anything they like (within reason) without much gatekeeping being built into the publication process. This creates some real social media predicaments: should there be wider restrictions on what can and can’t be posted? If so, would that be infringing on people’s freedom of speech? Such questions present significant implications and have a larger scope than this article can deliver. So, what social media apps and government policies may do to handle this dilemma in the future is not what I am here to talk about, rather I want to focus on what individuals can do to handle such questions.
I am not suggesting censorship. I am, however, suggesting that perhaps our mothers had it right when they gave us the age-old advice that it’s not always about what’s said but how it’s said that makes the bigger impact. Might both our mothers and forefathers have it right? Might this inalienable right of speech be better contemplated as both a freedom to speak freely and with an awareness and discernment for the larger context and impact our voices can make. With the prolific use of social media forever on the rise, perhaps it’s time to look at how we use the First Amendment. Remembering Eleanor Roosevelt’s words, “[w]ith freedom comes responsibility” may help direct us. We all need such a reminder from time to time — I would even urge us all to take responsibility to think before we post. Afterall, as human beings we all share this one planet – it is our ultimate social community. And it requires respect. At its root the word respect means to see or look again. And when you do, think about personal and social responsibility; think about how ideas and words can be responsible for shaping things, both at home and globally. I believe that the freedom and responsibility of speech asks this of us all.
Then, go and post.