"Social media for us is a way to find community, love and acceptance and information online when the world feels like it’s against us. I’ve worked with Black, brown and LGBTQ New Jersey residents my whole career, and for those of us who face discrimination, segregation, and rejection in real life know the truth — social media like TikTok gives us a powerful sense of belonging online that’s hard to find in the day-to-day." So good to read Kareem K.M. Willis, Ph.D. wisdom. Rather than focus on social media bans, we need to interrogate companies and the nefarious business policies and practices they employ to peddle misinformation, racial and gender violence, and extremism under the guise of "free speech" and in service of profit. Digital community spaces are not going anywhere, and our responsibility includes holding decision-makers accountable to focus on the right fight - building safer more generative uses for social media.
Social Justice Scholar-Practitioner, Philanthropy Enthusiast & Social Impact Consultant
🚀 Thrilled to share my latest op-ed: 'Trying to ban social media? Try to understand it instead — like we in NJ do'. Let's dive deep into the complexities and potentials of social media together! Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/eTRDgBcN #SocialMediaInsights #UnderstandingTech #TikTokBan #SocialMediaEmpowers