The great irony of the NPC meme is that it is surprisingly human. At its core, it describes the words and actions of individuals as the products of their environments. Whether its creators were aware of it or not, they were highlighting an aspect of the human experience which should be considered unanimous, for we are all subject – at least on occasion – to the power of social influence.
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Social Media and Virtual Cultism
It is undeniable that people on social media tend to be a bit more…extreme. Some blame it on the oft-anonymous nature of the internet. Others believe the cult-like extremism to be nothing more than an unrepresentative vocal minority. And others still believe that the most outrageous posts simply garner the most attention. Maybe social media users fall into the same “if it bleeds it leads” trap as the news. All of this is true…in part. But there is something about social media that brings out this behavior in even the most sensible people—something that causes our calm, rational conduct to be replaced by a passionate, irrational, cult-like behavior...
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Social Media: Platforms or Publishers?
Social media companies advertise themselves as "platforms," but does the law agree? And if not, what does this mean for the future of social media?
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An Argument for Free Speech: Challenge Begets Progress
You probably feel that your own instincts on any given topic represent the most moral options. But what if the appointed censor—whether it be the government, a business, etc.—were to disagree? What if it were to deem taboo the discussions that you felt to be necessary and allowed those you felt should be prevented? When you give away the right to choose for yourself, this is an inevitability.
