Social Media

What would it be like if we gave the Ancient Athenian philosopher Socrates a phone with social media? After his immediate confusion regarding the magical portal of trapped souls and developing some skill navigating the godly device, he may soon begin to utilize it in a way to spread his philosophical message. Perhaps he might say, “Define justice, I’ll wait...” or “@AthensGov: I was just asking questions!” While Socrates would surely annoy several strangers online by relentlessly questioning their beliefs, much debate exists today surrounding the development and use of social media.  

Much of the John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant’s work in the 1700s and 1800s encompasses the direct ethical applications that need to be discussed today for social media. Mill’s Harm Principle states that actions can only be restricted if they cause harm to someone else, acknowledging that offending someone is not the same thing as harming someone. Mill would therefore argue that it is justified to censor a message provoking harm, but only so long as it is truly harmful. The French Declaration of Rights of Man states a very similar idea to Mill’s. It claims, “Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law.” 

Existentialists such as Sartre and Kierkegaard would certainly think to question the authenticity of the digital reflections of true people. Is the typical Instagram post really a reflection of one’s true inner self, or is it a distortion designed to conform to social expectations? A person’s online representation should strive to live in accordance with their actual self. Doing so will avoid the common pitfall which Kierkegaard describes as inner despair despite an outer projection of inauthentic happiness. This is a textbook example of Sartre’s definition of bad faith, reducing yourself by selecting curated parts of your person to present while forsaking the rest. People should forge their own unique and authentic paths using social media rather than conforming to the crowd expectation. 

Online morality should largely be considered the same as in-person morality. Kantian ethics emphasizes a universal law and duty, both of which should carry across platforms whether they be online or in-person. Certain digital actions such as spreading misinformation, trolling, or cyberbullying can be considered undeniably immoral. Even in the anonymous void of a comments section, we should strive to align our actions with moral truth. It’s an ongoing existential commitment to becoming someone worth being, even when no one’s watching.