Do You Think Social Media Needs to be Held Accountable for People’s Behavior? Like Suicide, Mass Murder, Violence, and Spreading Hate?

With great power comes great responsibility, a phrase we all know thanks to the MU…I’d say great accountability to make it even stronger…but both are missing from our online social media platforms who have shrugged off any hint of either until now…maybe…read on.

Molly Russell, a 14-year-old young woman from a north London suburb, committed suicide in November 2017.

In the UK, Coroners are akin to judges with the power and authority to investigate and officially assign the cause of death. On September 30, 2022, the UK Coroner )who heard the case ruled as follows:

“Molly Rose Russell died from an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content.” The Internet, he stated, “affected her mental health in a negative way and contributed to her death in a more than minimal way.”

Stop here and read the typically British understatement again. He did not rule her death a suicide… instead he “assigned” her cause of death to the effects of negative online content.

Read it again. This is possibly the first time, anywhere, that legal blame for suicide was ascribed to social media companies.

Meta has long withheld sharing the details of accounts like Molly’s claiming privacy and ethical issues. But through the sheer tenacity of her family, a tragic treasure trove of vile and poisonous content spewed into the investigation…one of the largest releases of its kind. 

The images, videos, and text were so disturbing and toxic that some people had to leave the courtroom and others spoke about losing sleep for weeks. 

Meta’s response in court? They “can’t speak to what was going on in Molly’s mind.”

But dear reader, that just isn’t so…is it? On the contrary, they knew exactly what was going on in her mind, as did all of the other social sharing sites. And frankly, if they really didn’t know, why are their companies so highly valued by Wall Street and why do advertisers flock to them? 

The disingenuousness of this position is belied by a recommendation from Pinterest that arrived in Molly’s account two weeks after her sadly tragic death… “Depression Pins you may like.” As I said, it just isn’t so...is it. 

I urge you to read up on Molly and the case as this could be a historic turning point (or not) in the accountability of internet companies who have successfully shielded behind their Tech Giant façade for so long—to the point their entitlement to invincibility has become almost puncture proof. 

But maybe…just maybe if enough of us speak up, no longer. 

They were “sorry” that she had seen harmful content. They even acknowledged that some of it had violated their own standards…shocking, right? But HEY, you know how it is, they are fighting for us while balancing free expression and safety…and wait, also giving people emotional outlets to “cry for help.” And possibly the most tone deaf of all…claiming that some of the content had been safe after all. 

Let’s be clear: the algorithm works by making us angry, feeding our sorrow, and adding to our hate…and yes, sharing cute kitten videos…but the money is in the extremes. 

I have soapboxed about the danger to the world around elections in many countries…places where Meta, Twitter, and more shared and continue to share hate, fake news, and misinformation, stoking violence. Maybe that’s just too big and esoteric to fathom. 

Molly is easy to understand and simple to comprehend. That same algorithm that made money by sending her “Depression Pins” is churning 24/7, sending out more of the same to other teens and more hate to the haters than you can comprehend…just see how much content poor Molly accumulated. 

What are we to do?

• Parents – be aware of what your children are viewing and sharing online. Do not be lulled by any of these companies assuring you that they are dealing with the problem.
• Advertisers – COME ON!!! What are you afraid of? Speak up. The boycotts sadly don’t work; we need your voices loud and clear.
• Brands – do you want to be associated with Molly’s death or the next mass murder? 
• Legislators – now is the time. Enough is enough. We need serious regulation to save the next Molly.
• You and Me – THINK BEFORE YOU SHARE…it’s that simple. Teach it. Preach it. Practice it. 
• Social Media – show some remorse. Do something real…it's a real-world problem…the Metaverse won’t fix this one.

The next time you sit in a meeting where you’re told about the power of “all their data” and the ability to predict consumer purchases or vacation destinations, remember what was said about Molly…We “can’t speak to what was going on in Molly’s mind.”

But now we can. 

I was inspired by my friend and teacher, TH, who in a talk on the dichotomous power of words to both “uplift and cast down” summed up with the following quote:

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21).

And that power is amplified, in our world, by platforms that have no regard for it.

What’s your view?