Majority of America wants social media cover-up

By: 
Lee Pulaski
City Editor

We realized all too well recently how much we depend on social media in our lives when we tried getting into Facebook and were told that no connection could be made for a six-hour period. Those who tried getting into Instagram were also out of luck. WhatsApp? Denied.

There were a couple of moments when I wondered if our push to be technologically advanced had come back and knocked us on our keisters, if maybe it had been decided that the digital ties we’ve all made to other people around the country and around the world needed to be cut. How easy would it be to flip the switch and shut off those social media sites, especially in light of the recent “60 Minutes” piece on the Facebook whistleblower?

Of course, it appears there are plenty of people who wouldn’t be that upset. I received an email the other day that a company called Redact conducted a survey of 3,360 social media users, and among Wisconsin residents, 60% of them want all of their social media posts erased once they die, citing concerns that existing social media content posted in the past might now be controversial or contentious.

The Redact survey found majorities of people in every state, save for Wyoming, would prefer that their social media accounts be deleted for this. Additionally, there are other states with higher percentages of people who would just as soon not let future generations see what they said, thought or looked like in a string bikini once they kicked the bucket. In neighboring Minnesota, 81% of respondents said yes, while in Iowa, the response was 85% in favor. In my home state of Arizona, 69% said kill the social media accounts.

The survey also revealed that almost half of respondents admit old social media posts differ from their current opinions, and two-fifths say they avoid posting about politics on Facebook and other sites for fear of being ostracized. Also, 27% said they make their social media profiles private when they’re job hunting.

It’s rather interesting that, in this era of cancel culture, so many people want to cover their heads when it comes to being hesitant about putting their name to the opinions they post. Sadly, many people go ahead and post the strangest and most outrageous viewpoints on a whim, as anger or arrogance give them the confidence to stick it to whomever they don’t like.

I’m a little baffled as to why only 27% of respondents in Wyoming confirmed they wanted their social media accounts erased. Are people really confident in that state of their convictions? Do they look back at the wacky fashions they modeled five or 10 years ago and just think, good times?

It’s an interesting commentary on people in general. By extension, the folks who want their social media obliterated are wanting to hide from their pasts. Sure, we all say and do things that are stupid and that we regret, but it’s usually better to admit that we’re flawed than to perpetuate the lie that we’re amazing and can do no wrong. Besides, if we’re dead, why should we care what people think of us at that point?

The Redact survey also indicated that social media users are already trying to rewrite their history. While being locked down during the pandemic, about 38% of respondents said they used their spare time to 86 any embarrassing posts from the past.

It’s kind of a shame that people don’t want to leave such mementos of their life untouched to be part of a historical record. There has never been an easier way to chronicle people’s lives and show what society was like at this point in time. Instead of searching for human remains or tattered papers, historians in the 22nd century and beyond can look at the internet as a data gold mine.

Instead, people are letting their vanity win out. Folks are too worried about the public’s perception of them, long after they’re dead and turned to dust. It’s absurd not to be an individual and instead join the rest of the flock as being sheep. America claims to be a melting pot with different cultures and abilities, but at the end of the day, a majority of folks would rather blend in than stand out.

As for me, I want my social media accounts to stay how they are. Maybe there are a few things that make me look idiotic, but that’s OK. Let history deem me either a genius or a moron. I’ll be dead anyway, so why should I care?


Lee Pulaski is the city editor for the Shawano Leader. Readers can contact him at lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com.