I've seen it too many times recently. People are viewing the response to a "national security threat," as a loss of freedom comparable to what one might expect from an authoritarian government. Please stop it.
A possible ban of TikTok is not a loss of freedom. I am a TikTok user and have both enjoyed the app and spent a lot of time on it. I can also understand some of the potential danger.
During the pandemic, the platform served to connect so many thousands of isolated people and provided desperately needed relief and entertainment. Much of the community I've come to know there feels like family. I've seen people break down in tears at the thought of losing that lifeline. Some people are angrily raging about the possibility. Other posts on the subject are extremely suspicious.
When unfamiliar accounts pop up and start talking about our country in negative terms, while praising the app, I raise an eyebrow. Do we all remember the effects of Russian propaganda on social media systems in 2016? Think of that and realize that the home nation of the foreign company who owns that platform met with one of our adversaries just today.
Many people may not take the idea of a threat seriously. What advantage could there be in knowing the latest dance craze and who partakes? Please remember 2016. This is not all fun and games. Remember history. There are some disturbing trends happening and you can see them when you put different pieces of a puzzle together. We know what propaganda can do. We know how dangerous misinformation and bullies can be. We know how sophisticated artificial intelligence is and what can be done with biometrics. I have seen accounts on Twitter recently that seemed to flip their script. "People" who were all about mindfulness and peace began promoting diabolical content, much to my dismay. It was disappointing to lose what felt like a friendship. We have to remember though, some of these accounts may not even be real people at all. AI can generate people who look remarkably real in videos. It can make people do and say things on video that they did not do or say at all.
Debates are happening in live feeds, posts and comment sections about every kind of topic imaginable - from parenting styles, to the existence of God, to the latest bills being passed, political spins and protests. Misinformation is a dangerous thing and we have NO IDEA how the algorithm might be manipulated. Hateful comments, heated arguments and personal concerns for safety enter my feed on a daily basis. I can only imagine it getting worse as the big election year approaches.
I do not believe we will, as a country, be able to withstand another 2016 or four more years of wannabe dictator hell. We have seen a lot of crazy things happen in the last few years. People are working hard just to survive and absolutely not verifying the information that comes into their feed before commenting and/or passing it on. Some are well-intentioned, just trying to connect or be sympathetic. Some are out for engagement, likes and followers. Some just spew negativity and hate. Some are real, some are not.
We as individuals, obviously do not have the same ability to put it all together in the way a big data analysis system can. We don't even think of things that way, but make no mistake about the fact that there are some seriously devious motives for wanting that kind of data. Our habits, likes, dislikes, biometrics, motivations and grievances can combine to provide our enemies with a playbook that can serve to destroy us.
We are not in possession of all the facts. We need to trust those who are. We need to elect people who are trustworthy. We need to recognize potential hazards and choose our long term future and safety over the immediate gratification of an entertainment app.
I love TikTok, but the leader of China just met with Putin today. I'm okay with losing the app in favor of OUR free country. (I say this even as we continue to lose rights in so many states and fight to regain them.) Don't get anything twisted. If we lose a much-loved app, It's not a loss of freedom. It's to protect the freedoms we have left.
Before I could blog about it, things on TikTok devolved further.
There was an accusation made by a creator with millions of followers. She suspected a well known and loved member of the LGBTQIA community with over 600k followers of their own... of grooming children and seeking to be alone with them for purposes of abuse. She strategically edited some of his posts to support her theory.
Thousands of people chimed in with their own opinions and videos, some accusing, some defending each party. Anger, hate, fear and ignorance flooded in. The issues began to pile up in layers.
I gathered some facts and prepared my own response, but then the video I was going to directly react to disappeared. In its place was the original accuser in tears. According to her, she received a threat of harm in an email and the threat included knowledge of her personal information and that of her two children. She seemed visibly shaken and in distress. She said that she had taken down all her accusation videos and issued an apology, saying she wished she and her family to not be harmed.
This added even more layers to the entire series of events. I stitched my own response:
1. THREATS ARE NOT OKAY.
2. TARGETING INDIVIDUALS IS NOT OKAY.
3. FALSE ACCUSATIONS, OR ACCUSATIONS WITHOUT PROOF, ARE NOT OK.
4. PEOPLE ARE NOT GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT. They are INNOCENT until proven otherwise.
5. Fear and assumption does not warrant public accusation.
6. Hate does not help.
7. People tend to rush to judgement instead of seeking to understand and gain knowledge.
8. With a large following, comes responsibility.
9. Karma WILL COME FOR YOU.
10. There are many facts about the LGBTQIA community that escape others' attention.
11. Misinformation spreads like wildfire.
12. Algorithms perpetuate conflict and the engagement that comes with it.
I could go on and on. Can we PLEASE seek to understand each other before we go rushing to judgement? It is WAY too easy to put others in danger and people in the LGBTQIA community already face danger.
It is an unfortunate and tragic fact that some children need to seek help escaping from the adults who physically and emotionally abuse them. If you suspect abuse - report it to authorities immediately. Wild and public accusations, without any proof, can be extremely dangerous. If someone makes you uncomfortable because of the way they look and you can't understand them, there is an incredible opportunity for you to learn something. The world will be a better place when we first seek to understand each other. People in the LGBTQIA community are NOT DANGEROUS by virtue of the facts of who they are. To assume so is ignorant and hateful.
Hatred can spread like wildfire. I was deeply disturbed this week when some accounts I follow, who often post peaceful, mindfulness, positive energy types of posts, had reposted one of hate. They have many thousands of followers and the comment section was filled with like sentiments. It is hard to understand and I really don't want to understand "hate."
I know there is an obvious and deliberate type, like what we see on certain "news" channels. This was different. This was sneaky and stealth-like. This seemed to be someone (or something) casting a wide net, building trust and then drop kicking a bunch of people into agreement. It may have been a troll farm or AI.
Please be careful out there. Stand your ground while staying safe. Do NOT allow hate to grow. We must NOT allow it to burn freely. Love is stronger. Stand in Love.
This caught my attention on our way back from the museum in NYC.
"God optional" - interesting. Here's a section from the "about us" tab on their website.
"Fourth Universalist is non-creedal, which means you are welcome no matter what you believe, so long as it is bounded by justice and love. We see wisdom in the world religions as well as in each unique person. We want to be the friendliest congregation in town, warm and inclusive, while taking seriously the many challenges we face as individuals and as a society. We want to make a difference in the world, spreading hope, joy and love."
