The technological and communications revolution continues to challenge many of our traditional values, ethics, and concepts of freedom that previous generations were raised on before the emergence of social media platforms and applications, which have now established themselves as an inescapable part of reality.
It is no exaggeration to say that the future will be even more complex and ambiguous, especially as we enter the era of artificial intelligence. This major shift hands over many human functions to machines.
This raises the inevitable question: where are these dramatic changes in human society taking us, and what effects do these platforms have on our time, awareness, and relationships with ourselves and others, both positively and negatively?
Much has been written about this issue, and it’s no surprise that the renowned Brazilian novelist Umberto Eco (1932-2016) harshly criticised the situation, stating that “tools like Twitter and Facebook give the right to speak to legions of idiots who used to speak only in bars after a glass of wine, without causing harm to society, and were immediately silenced. But now they have the same right to speak as Nobel Prize winners. It is an invasion of idiots.”
In a similar vein, the Canadian philosopher and academic Alan Dono argues in his book ‘The Banality System’ that this trend ‘has developed to sweep across all fields, where banality has become a celebrated system, allowing the mediocre to build a world that stifles creativity, distinction, and legitimises mediocrity and backwardness.’
As we navigate the realm of freedom and opinion on these platforms, the question remains: where should the limits of expression begin and end?
While there are vast opportunities to benefit from the content of these platforms, despite the ongoing controversies, they have also become weapons for some, tools of destruction for others, and dangerous avenues for spreading hatred, violence, defamation, and destabilising nations.
Observers of global events will recognise the exploitation of these platforms by extremists of all ideologies to spread terror and hatred, whether it be terrorist organisations in the Middle East, far-right movements in the West, or racist political extremism targeting minorities in some Asian countries.
These hateful messages, which scorn human life and dignity, use the same platforms to expand their influence and spread their violent rhetoric to their followers.
When intellectual and ideological decline reaches this dangerous level under the guise of freedom of speech, it is unreasonable to expect responsible governments to stand idly by as this wave of violent thought undermines the stability of nations and the foundations of civil peace.
Without security, there can be no real progress in development, urbanisation, or civilisation. It is no surprise, then, that nine Arab countries topped the Failed States Index in 2024, after the spread of hate-filled, divisive, and violent rhetoric in both traditional and digital media shattered their stability, undermining decades of progress and sacrifices.
Even in the West, where freedom and democracy are often celebrated, we see direct action being taken to counter far-right movements in the UK after the murder of two girls, with immediate trials and harsh penalties for those inciting hatred, even under the guise of free speech.
Some voices, such as the British writer Jonathan Freedland in ‘The Guardian’ on August 9, 2024, have even called for the prosecution of Elon Musk, accusing him of inciting instability by predicting a ‘civil war’ in Britain on the X platform.
Such platforms, along with their owners and malicious actors, possess immense potential to destabilise societies from afar, presenting security challenges that cannot be overlooked.
This makes it imperative to fortify nations against this rising tide and regulate the social media sector, particularly concerning incitement and instability, while promoting its positive uses and enriching local content in ways that reflect a nation’s heritage, wealth, and the creativity of its youth.
Translated by Badr al Dhafari
The original version of the article was published in the print edition of Oman Arabic newspaper on September 18.
Yahya Al Aoufi
The writer is an Omani writer and translator
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