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Overheard a kid say 'free speech is just for rich people' and it kinda stung
I was grabbing coffee at a 7-Eleven off I-5 last Tuesday and this college aged kid was on the phone near the hot dogs. He said something like 'free speech online is just a tool for people with money and followers to drown everyone else out.' It hit me because I remember when forums like this were full of random folks just trading opinions without worrying about algorithms or ad money. I mean yeah, back in the early 2000s you could say something dumb on a message board and it'd just sit there for years. But now it feels like if you're not a big account with a platform, your voice just gets buried under the noise. Makes me wonder if the whole idea of unfiltered expression is dead when the playing field is that uneven. Has anyone else noticed who actually gets heard in these 'free speech' spaces anymore?
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shane_park9210d ago
Got off social media completely a few years back. Best move I ever made. Now I just talk to people in real life and use niche forums like this.
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daniel_gonzalez10d ago
Oh man, totally agree. I did the same thing about two years ago and it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Now I just text people or hop on here when I want to talk, feels way more real.
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alicecraig9d ago
Nah, I see it the opposite way actually. Instagram is where I keep up with my cousins' kids growing up and see what my old college buddies are doing. You miss a lot when you ditch it completely. Forum chats are good for deep dives on specific stuff, but they can't replace seeing your friend's vacation photos or knowing someone got engaged. Different tools for different jobs, you know?
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