Free Speech: Do People Need To Be Protected From Other People's Views?

While it is not as if people have just started sharing their views, there is a difference when it comes to how things used to be. For one thing, the internet has given people a platform to do so.
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In the past, someone would have generally shared their views with their friends and family, and that might have been as far as it went. Or, if they were a journalist, they would have had a far bigger audience.

Therefore, the average person wouldn’t have had a platform that allowed them to reach a wider audience. As a result of this, most of what they said wouldn’t have had much of an effect on the wider world.

Unnoticed

And if it did have a negative effect the people around them, it doesn’t mean that anything would take place. These people wouldn’t have been able to record what was going on, and so they may have just carried on with their life.

Perhaps they believed that hearing views that they didn’t like was just part of life and that they simply had to put up with it. If they reported what took place to the police, it might not have gone very far, and this could come down to a lack of evidence.

A Big Difference

However, now that someone can use the internet, their views can have far more influence than before. People from all over the world can see what they say, and this can happen directly or indirectly.

If it happens directly, it is likely to be a sign that one of their followers/’friends’ has seen what they have said. One might just have one social media account, or they could have a number of them.

A Number of Options

The more they have, the greater their influence is likely to be, and this is because not everyone uses the same site. When it comes to getting their views out, some sites will be better than others

And if other people see what one has said in an indirect way, it can be due to what other people have shared. What one says can end up spreading like wild fire, and the fact they only need an internet connection and a device to do this shows how much the world has changed.

Under Surveillance

The technology that allows this to take place, has also given people the ability to film what other people say to them. Once this has taken place, they can upload the video to the internet.

The video can then allow one to gain the support of other people, and it will give them the evidence that they need to get the police involved if they have been offended. When it comes to what approach they take, it can all depend on what has taken place.

Different Levels

If someone was to say something online, it might not have much of an effect on others. This could be a sign that they haven’t said anything offensive or it could mean that it has only been seen by people who agree with what they have said.

For example, if they were to talk about sports or music, it is unlikely to cause people to report them or to try to have them banned. If it does annoy them, it could just show that they don’t agree with them.

Outrage

On the other hand, they could say something that will cause other people to completely lose it. This could mean that other people will end up feeling angry and/or upset, and they could end up telling their friends about what has been said.

It is then not going to take very long for what they have said to gain a lot of exposure, and they may even end up being reported. One could then end up receiving a warning, or they may even end up being banned.

Hate Speech

What they have said is then going to be seen as being unacceptable, and if they receive a warning they will naturally need to be careful what they say in the future. This could show that one has said something about women, religion, or touched upon what is taking place when it comes to immigration.

It is then not going to matter that they have simply shared their own views, and that what they said might be worth paying attention to, as they will be treated as though they have done something wrong. Still, this will stop them from being able to offend others, and so it could be seen as the right approach.

Free Speech

When this takes place, it could be said that people’s feelings are going to be the point of focus. Making sure that people are not offended is going to be far more important than making sure that people are allowed share their views.

Now, it could be said that this is a sign of empathy, and that it is a good thing that people’s feelings are being respected. However, the downside to this is that it creates the impression that people have no control over how they feel.

Protection

But if other people do control how they feel, it is then going to be necessary to silence free speech. In addition to this, silencing people could be seen as a way to protect people from being exposed to information that could harm them.

Therefore, if this didn’t take place, it would be a challenge for them to feel at peace and the world wouldn’t be as safe as it is. The people who crack down on views that are seen as being unacceptable are then playing a vital role.

Conclusion

One way of looking at this would be to say that not only are people being treated like children; there are plenty of people who are acting like children. As an adult, one is generally responsible for how they feel, and they are old enough to handle different kinds of information.

Stopping people from expressing their views might seem like the right thing to do, but it is likely to do more harm than good. If anything, it might be more accurate to say that this is simply a way to control people, and to keep them in an infantile state.