Social networks can be controlled by any one person

The recent fuss over Elon Musk and his silly management of Twitter has led many to claim that he will ruin the experience by allowing anyone to say whatever they like.

It could well be true that he will potentially allow people to say nasty stuff and to spread untruths, but you would still have control over ‘your’ experience. You can still choose who you follow, you can choose to ignore negative responses and direct messages, and you can choose to leave if the place becomes a cesspit of nonsense.

I do understand that for teenagers this could be dangerous, but all of the monitoring and regulation in the world will not stop a big social network from having areas that are horrible to be in. Just like any city or town, you simply cannot keep everything positive and negative areas will always exist. If you want to visit, you need to keep your head down and steer clear of the places, online or offline, that you do not want to go to.

I make it sound so easy, but how else can these huge networks will millions of inhabitants be managed? Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, it does not matter. They are too big to be regulated properly and humans have never had to deal with such uncontrollable beasts until now.

The networks have grown quicker than the tools to manage them can be created and until the time comes when the code is cracked we have no other choice, but to either avoid them or to decide how we live within them. People like Musk and Zuckerberg can be largely ignored by any individual if they choose to take control.