We May Be Destroying Democracy

The article “Silicon Valley Can’t Destroy Democracy Without Our Help” by The New York Times writer Emily Parker, forces us to reconsider our role in our nations democracy as society. She offers several key points that are important to know and she explains why. One major issue she discusses is our ability to act victimized when we don’t like something that is happening in the world (1). Her example of an occurrence we don’t like is media platforms allowing Russian exploitation and interference with the recent election of Donald Trump (1). While this is a problem, it is important to note that some of the Russian propaganda on social media was information delivered by Americans (1). This is an issue worth analyzing because it is crucial for society to understand the importance of being aware of our actions and how they reflect media issues we are currently facing.

Parker is trying to point out the enormity of the issue we are facing about the seemingly endless abilities of media to be intrusive, especially regarding politics. She recognizes that although it is a problem, we have to be aware of our part. For instance, “Facebook and Twitter are just a mirror, reflecting us. They reveal a society that is painfully divided, gullible to misinformation, dazzled by sensationalism, and willing to spread lies and promote hate. We don’t like this reflection, so we blame the mirror, painting ourselves as victims of Silicon Valley manipulation” (1). Although the California’s senator Dianne Feinstein blames the technology companies for creating the media platforms, Parker points out that media platforms do not force us to share information that is misleading (1). This debate forces us to consider the fact that although media exploitation is not our fault directly, we may be slowly spoiling the dignity of our own democracy, hence the title of the article.

Not only does fake news get more Facebook engagement than major stories from news outlets, but Americans are facing an inability to differentiate between fact or fiction, according to Parker (2). It is important to note that Trump’s rise to presidency dismantled Silicon Valley’s belief that internet is only used for good (2). Referring to those who share our presidents statements on social media, Parker stimulates an interesting thought that we are amplifying Trump’s ability to use technology as a tool to win. She explains, “even when we do so out of shock or outrage or because his statements have news value. If it weren’t for all of us, the president would be shouting into a void (2). Parker is hinting that we should consider the changes that could occur due to a lack of sensationalism on the very media platforms we are concerned about.

Considering the slim chances of a world-wide media protest, Parker is then asking us to think about whether or not we know when information is accurate or not. For example, she asks “Who will be the new arbiter of truth? An algorithm? The government? Mr. Zuckerberh or Twitter’s chief executive, Jack Dorsey? Some crowdsourcing exercise that involves the ‘American people,’ many of whom believe the fake news in the first place?” (3,4). The ironic factor of her questions is that one of the only ways society may become fully aware of the issue at stake, is through media platforms. Since this is the case, we should explore alternatives such as reconsidering our sources as well as what we decide to re-post on social media. At the end of her article, Parker notes “Social media platforms magnify our bad habits, even encourage them, but they don’t create them. Silicon Valley isn’t destroying democracy—only we can do that” (4).

Parker, Emily. “Silicon Valley Can’t Destroy Democracy Without Our Help.” The New York Times, 2 Nov. 2017, pp.104.