One
of the things you'll hear mentioned when the mainstream media talks
about alternative social media sites is that those places are right-wing
echo chambers. The mainstream media is attacking those sites and trying
to discourage anybody from looking at them. It's not working. Sites
like Parler and Minds are seeing an increase in new subscribers due to
the rampant censorship and "fact-checking" taking place at the more
established sites. This is a trend that I expect to see continue in the
weeks ahead.
Because of my concern over the
future of the more established sites, I've set up accounts at a few of
the other places. I was struck by the fact that the media isn't
completely incorrect when they say that these places are filled with
more politically right leaning people. It's a good and bad thing. It's
good because people on the right, who are getting censored and
deplatformed from the other sites, have another place to go to
communicate. It's a bad thing because other political viewpoints and
other topics in general don't really have much representation there.
I
should point out that this isn't because those sites don't want
opposing views or people talking about non-political subjects. It really
makes sense when you think about it. If people on the left are able to
freely discuss their beliefs at the more established sites without fear
of being censored, why would they leave? Likewise, if there are more
people at the more established sites, why would any of the sporting
franchises, music industry people or entertainment industry studios
bother making accounts at the alternative sites? The answer is there's
no reason to go there if you're not being prevented from sharing your
views or promoting your content where you are.
Right
now, places like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have everything. They
have the membership numbers and they have the content. Political
discussions are only a part of what is done at those sites. People get
entertainment news, discuss sporting events, hear about musical artists
and get the latest news at those sites. Anybody looking to participate
in social media will head there first because that's where everything is
happening. If you make video content, YouTube is the place you would go.
Twitter and Facebook are appealing social media sites for different
reasons, but you'll be able to get your message out at either site.
Currently, censorship only seems to happen to people who lean to the
right and dare to express those opinions too much. Everybody else is
safe for the moment.
You have to start some
place. Parler and Minds may be dominated by political discussion, but
they can grow from there. It's also important to note that they invite
people from all political sides to participate. People on the right are
joining in bigger numbers because of censorship concerns, but people on
the left aren't being discouraged from participating. Ultimately, the
discussions they have on these sites now will determine how much they
grow and what they become in the future. Being sites that promote free
speech is only part of the equation. People have to speak up and make those
sites something others want to be a part of.
