link to original reddit post by /u/cnnr_g
Does anybody else here feel like the blame for the size and influence of social media sites should fall squarely on the users? I've always hated the argument that the government needs to do something before Big Tech gets too Big. First of all, not a person on Earth is unaware of the problem at hand, so it isn't as though we're having the wool pulled over our eyes in that regard. If anything, the Bigger that Tech gets, the sooner people will notice that they're totally blocking the sunlight. Secondly, this claim that society is being controlled by "unelected" demagogues like Zuckerburg is disingenuous to me; the people's choice to support Facebook is leagues more democratic than any election.
I worry about the fabric of society being soiled by social media trends just as much as the next guy, and I understand that the government has a substantial interest in regulating social media. But I haven't heard a single private citizen say "I dunno, maybe 90% of Americans just lack self-control and self-preservation instincts." I don't want government controlling intellectual traffic just because some folks don't know how to drive defensively.