We need to start identifying the triggers that aggravate mental health issues in our society – bullying, social media negativity and anxiety, gender based violence, substance abuse, stigma around issues such as maternal issues, etc., and we need to speak up about these more and get to the source of the problems. Sanam Saeed
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/social-media-quotes

Over the past two weeks I have given this much thought. Should social media be required to report any type of postings that could be a perceived manifesto that is suggesting possible threat of harm and injury to one or more persons?

The criminal code of Canada states this:

Uttering threats

• 264.1 (1) Every one commits an offence who, in any manner, knowingly utters, conveys or causes any person to receive a threat
  • (a) to cause death or bodily harm to any person;
  • (b) to burn, destroy or damage real or personal property; or
  • (c) to kill, poison or injure an animal or bird that is the property of any person.

Over the past several years we have seen social media companies start to act to stem the tide of misinformation. Many fake accounts were closed, others lost their privilege to use the social media platforms.

In a Forbes article it addresses the issue concerning the mass shooter and the posting on his Instagram account.

On Wednesday, authorities in Texas identified Salvador Ramos as the 18-year-old shooter who had opened fire in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Ramos, who had killed at least 19 students and two teachers during his shooting spree on Tuesday, had allegedly posted disturbing images online prior to carrying out the senseless attack.

In the same article they write about The New York Attorney General, Letitia James, that she will be investigating social media companies after this last mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

It was just last week that New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, announced that her office was investigating social media companies after another mass shooter had used the online platforms to plan, promote and stream a massacre in a Buffalo grocery store that left 10 dead. James said her office would investigate Twitch, 4chan, 8chan and Discord along with other platforms that the shooter used to amplify the attack.

Did someone miss the clues about many mass shooters? Was the writing on the wall? There seems to be a definite pattern for mass shooters announcing their intentions by postings what authorities call, “manifestos”.

Teachers have alerted authorities about students who seem to be fixated on dark violence, either through drawings, writings, or even oral conversations.

William V. Pelfrey, Jr., Ph.D., professor in the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. tells Forbes that, “It is impossible to prevent people from making threats online,”

He then continues,, “Yet he suggested that social media organizations do have a moral responsibility to identify and remove threatening messaging.”

This blogger leans to the agreement with the professor. Social media platforms need to step up their monitoring of such posts, take appropriate actions to remove such threats. I can hear somebody arguing that this would infringe of a person’s “free speech”. Is uttering threats “free speech”. It is against the law to holler, “FIRE”, in a movie theatre. One cannot even joke about a bomb on a jet plane.

So dear reader, I ask you, should the social media platforms step up their effort on monitoring these types of postings? I would definitely like to hear your thoughts!