There is a belief that citizens should be prevented from harmful content by having social media platforms strictly regulated by governments. From my perspective, I partly agree with this point of view, as I believe that this approach cannot solve the root causes and even has potential risks.
On the one hand, one of the main reasons why digital platforms should undergo strict supervision is that they can convey illegal and sensitive content. In fact, many people now choose to watch films and sport events via pirate websites which contain a variety of advertisements that feature age-inappropriate images and normalize unlawful gambling. These social evils may cause impressionable children or vulnerable individuals to behave deviantly and even commit illegal activities. As a result, if governments take the responsibility to heavily censor social media platforms, our community is likely to access a more meaningful content such as genuine recreational TV shows, educational programmes more frequently. Given those valuable insights, each resident can acquire useful knowledge, foster intrinsic values and become a more responsible member of the society.
On the other hand, I still think that the measure of heavily regulating social media platforms seems impractical. This can be explained that no gorvernment can manage well an enormous stream of information online due to the lack of technical capacity. Even when they have that ability, the censorship standards are vague and overly broad rules, which make it too prone to be utilized to silence legit criticism, then undermining freedom of expression. Therefore, it is necessary to have a long-term approach. For example, by stimulating media literacy education for citizens, espeacially young generations, everyone can evaluate and indentify harmful content. Consequently, such a solution is a sustainable form of protection, which does not rely heavily on governments’ management.
In conclusion, although posing strict regulation on social media platforms seems promising and instantly effective, I believe that it can overwhelm governments and legit information, weakening residents’ welfare. Thus, countries should have more long-term approaches like providing educational programmes.