This post may seem strange to post on an autism forum. I think this issue can affect all online and it is a growing issue.
The internet can have its good and bad elements.
Social media influencers want fame, subscribers, likes and followers. I can understand as it is their job.. COVID made people use social media more, but now it is having an effect where many people want popularity, likes, followers and subscribers and if they don't get them it is having an effect on their self esteem and they can inflict this faulty psychology of why it is needed on others sometimes too when they ask people to give them likes. If somebody reads something if interested that is what it is meant to be for, but basing self worth on likes and followers is not good for self identity and a sense of self worth. I know some people may use social media for friendships, but there is this culture growing where we are moving in the direction where people are becoming destabilised in their self esteem from its use. I myself am a very quiet person and can find some aspects of social media difficult.
Then you can get people who make themselves a spokesperson for something when they are not trained for the role and can do harm, such as Skinny endorsement by social media influencers who give faulty information about dieting and vulnerable people can stumble on this There has been teenagers who got worse by looking at some of this information. One was called Molly Russell. . Children too can do copycat things which they learn from online that are dangerous to do in the real world. Such was the case of a 17 year old Axel Rudakubana who was diagnosed with autism who murdered three young girl's triggered partly by being influenced online. You can see the case from the following link.
Also, there was the case of Alina Burns who was 19 anorexic and autistic who attempted to murder a man and only recently got a computer about two months and become a member of the Neo Nazi’s. The father said that she was vulnerable and dropped out of school.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr7pg7nk53go
Do you think there is anything in it that makes an autistic more vulnerable to radicalism online. There are many crimes committed by neurotypical people.
Then with some people it is hard to read their motives why are they sharing, go with your instincts. Be careful about being exploited online if you are vulnerable to this.
Some people can troll online because it is more unregulated and behind a screen.
Groups that are dangerous should have a limited platform online. I also Article 18 of the UN Declaration of freedom of thought and religion, but there are limit if it a real risk to health and safety and the liberty of others.
I thought that we might discuss a difficult topic. Countries like Australia do not permit under 16's to use social media.
