By Kleoniki Mastorakou and Despoina Pourika
It is a common human experience to support a person we idolise without adequate research and critical examination as we trust their judgment. However, those in powerful positions often take advantage of this tendency. This can be seen on social media where such people use their positions to advance their interests, through influencing their audience. Such social media platforms include Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. We will examine the case of actors, such as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, politicians, such as Donald Trump and businessmen, such as Elon Musk. We will then evaluate the utility of social media and propose remedies to ensure that social media become safer.
Examples of powerful figures
- Artists, e.g. Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial
In June 2022, the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard was finalised with Depp being awarded $5 million in punitive and $10 million in compensatory damages. Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages. This trial was not limited to the courtroom. It was broadcast online with tens of thousands of people watching every minute of it. It was essential for these actors to be ‘acquitted’ in the eyes of the people. Such a case is vital for their reputation and as a result for the future roles or business deals they might obtain. In a defamation trial, their reputation hinges on whether the jury believes them. However, as this was an incredibly public trial due to their capacity as world-famous actors, this became at least as much of a trial in court, as a trial under the public eye. Many posts appeared online supporting each party. Hashtags supporting Depp reached 19.6 billion views, while those supporting Heard reached 19.8 million views. People adopted sides in this dispute, in a way that resembles a football match, rather than a defamation trial relating to domestic abuse. It was sensationalised online with each side’s supporters bullying the opposing party. This is hardly how the legal system should operate. Jurors decide such cases. They represent the everyday people that determine the result. They listen to all the evidence, law, and procedure, while they are not supposed to consider any outside information to ensure they are as objective and impartial as possible. This is a prerequisite for a fair trial. On the other hand, a public trial on social media has no restraints, no rules. Supporters can be abusive to the other side without repercussions and the ‘louder’ side usually prevails. Such use of social media distorts the legal system and worsens social culture. It creates an online fight with many victims. Hence, our aim is to highlight that such social media influence undermines the justice system and is disadvantageous to all parties involved as it renders a fair trial much harder. Social media could be used to support domestic abuse victims, highlight the importance of not only abuse against women, but also against men, as well as share links with relevant hotlines. Such spreading of information and support that might have been ignited by this trial is beneficial. Sensationalism that turns a trial into an online football match is disadvantageous.
- Politicians, e.g. Donald Trump
Nowadays, social media has become a space to be used during political campaigns to influence individuals, creating a new kind of ‘smart politics’. During Donald Trump’s recent political career, social media use was particularly instrumental twice; first, during the 2016 United States election period and second, prior to the Capitol attack. During the 2016 election, journalists and the media were allegedly used to gain political support, for example by spreading fake news. The continuous posts on Twitter were a significant factor for Trump’s win in the elections, as they helped him gain a huge political following. Then, his Twitter posts around the end of his presidency were instrumental for the Capitol attack in January 2021. According to the investigation of the riot by the Department of Justice, Trump’s tweet, stating “Be there and be wild!”, was vital in urging extremist groups to attack the US Capitol. This demonstrated that use of social media in politics can greatly influence a large number of people even with just one post, showing the great amount of power they hold. Consequently, the lack of adequate restrictions as to the content of said posts could be detrimental. In this case, the attack was a threat to Democracy and the foundational principles that shape the Constitution. After the attack, Trump was banned from Twitter and Facebook, reflecting the gravity of both the incident and his involvement in it. Their ability to ban the President shows the power of social media companies. It also begs the question of how beneficial for society it might be if such firms used their power to protect the public through managing their platforms to prevent such incidents. Evidently, social media is a powerful tool that can easily become a medium for social influence.
- Businessmen, e.g. Elon Musk
Tesla chief executive, Elon Musk, is well-known for his expertise in business activities and investing, rendering him greatly influential on social media platforms, such as Twitter. After promoting a new cryptocurrency called ‘Dogecoin’, he is being sued for defrauding people who invested in the “Dogecoin Crypto Pyramid Scheme”. By tweeting about this new cryptocurrency, Musk allegedly drove up its price even though the coin had no underlying value. As a result, he is accused of promoting the coin for personal interests. The fact that so many users were convinced to invest in a coin which led them to lose substantial amounts of money not only shows how easily the public can be affected by people in power, but also how social media can become the instrument of such influence. This is an example of how important it is to critically analyse information on social media before trusting it and acting on it to avoid unintended consequences.
Evaluating the utility of social media
Social media can be very beneficial. They help people obtain all kinds of information. In this way, they enable education, providing free tools to foster knowledge and awareness, while they also empower people to access many more opportunities. In addition, they bring individuals from very different backgrounds closer together, helping them become more open-minded. However, social media also has disadvantages. The ability it gives users to spread information quickly can be very problematic when that information is false as this can promote prejudice. In a more indirect fashion, social media can be used to manipulate the public, such as by only presenting one viewpoint, in essence developing a false picture for the audience. This can be dangerous when endorsed by powerful people that one trusts unequivocally. Overall, social media can be very beneficial if appropriately used.
Potential remedies
People should be protected from social media misinformation. First, the public should critically examine any piece of evidence presented. For example, if there is a video supporting Depp online, one should ensure that they also watch videos supporting Heard to acquire a balanced view of the issue. This is especially so because due to popularity bias, favoured posts are often suggested, while others, which people might also be interested in, are under-recommended. Along those lines, our education system should be improved to develop critical thinking. It should include more exercises of critical examination where students are asked to explain and justify their opinions. Second, regulation should be developed to ensure there are restraints against misinformation. Social media companies could also focus on highlighting misinformation and fake news. Perhaps the preferred approach would be for the government to issue regulation developing general guidelines, while it would be in the company’s discretion to adopt further specific measures. Hence, education and regulation, both on a governmental and social media company level, are two main ways to remedy such misinformation.
To conclude, the world of social media can be a medium used by powerful people to advance their interests through influencing their audience as demonstrated by the examples mentioned above. Social media can be very beneficial, however their disadvantages can be far-reaching and lead to significant consequences. To remedy such issues and instead foster the advantages, education and regulation could be used. To this effect, we hope that each one of us will now think twice next time we stumble upon a post of a person in a powerful position who we support. We should research, think critically and then independently reach a decision.