First hour: Social media, free speech, and the freedom to post
Second hour: The therapeutic benefits of friendship for people with mental illness
If you’re like most social media users, you want the freedom to post whatever you’d like and the opportunity to access materials that interest you. Yet, when the technology you use to enjoy those freedoms becomes a way to restrict them, it raises a number of issues. This is the theme behind a number of recent news stories involving social media. Germany just passed one of the world’s toughest laws cracking down on hate speech on social media. Critics say that the law may lead to censorship because it puts too much pressure on social networks to ban questionable content. In the U.S., the Supreme Court recently overturned a North Carolina law that barred registered sex offenders from using some social media sites, saying it limited their free speech. And at Harvard, a number of students’ acceptances were rescinded after college officials found them posting offensive content on Facebook. So how can we balance the freedom to post with protecting people from hate speech or offensive content? Our guests weigh in on these stories and more. In studio:
- Scott Malouf, attorney whose practice is focused on the intersection of social media and the law
- Mike Johansson, senior lecturer of communications at RIT, and social media consultant at Fixitology
Then in our second hour, nearly 44 million American adults experience mental illness in a given year, yet only about 60 percent receive treatment. The stigma surrounding mental illness keeps many adults — and youth — from asking for help. Compeer Rochester is working to change that; the organization says there’s strong evidence behind the therapeutic value of friendship. Compeer offers mentoring programs where adults and youth struggling with mental illness are matched with community members. We’ll talk to members of the program who say it has changed their lives. Our guests:
- Dana Frame, executive director of Compeer Rochester
- Jim Sedita and Steve Smock, adult match at Compeer Rochester
- Joshua Lowe, youth match at Compeer Rochester
- Dr. Stacy B. Killings, Psy.D., crisis therapist at Strong Memorial Hospital and school psychologist at Gates Chili High School