Censorship Is Changing Prepping and Blogging: Here Is What You Can Do To Fight It
There is a lot of crazy things going on right now. I don’t have to tell you that because if you pay one iota of attention to the events going on around us, you can definitely see that. The world is a crazy place and we are not in control of a lot of it.
What worries me the most is the loss of our freedoms. While we try to prepare for what we can control, we are losing our freedoms at an astonishing rate. We are facing censorship on a mass scale, loss of choice, and disturbing political/ideological movements. Censorship is what I am focusing on today.
If you haven’t discerned this already, this is a personal piece. I have been more and more anxious about what is happening than I ever have been before. Normally, I would be one of those people who just put their heads down and keeps plowing ahead. I do what I can with what I have.
However, I have a pretty contrary streak that runs in me. I do not like censorship on any scale. I do not like being told I have to wear a mask. I do not like being told I can not gets parts because they come from another country. I do not like being told I can not post about chickens or eggs being for sale because it violates community standards. Seriously?
Why are we putting up with this?!?! I understand that when you play on social media platforms that other people own, you have to play by their rules. Great except when those people make a ton of money off of the very people they are censoring. Then I have a problem. Can you even imagine the advertising revenue that these social media platforms bring in? I could only dream of that kind of money.
I like to believe that when people are making money off of me, I then have a voice too. However, in today’s climate and rules, if you try to raise your voice and let known your protest, you can lose your right to post and be apart of that social media platform. You agree to that when you sign up for an account.
Nevermind, the companies and people that pay for advertising space also believe they have a voice too. If they don’t like what is being posted or if the posting is against them, they will put pressure on the social media platforms to comply and delete those posts or lose their dollars. Facebook had this problem in June with major companies pulling their advertising dollars from them for failing to control hate speech. All the while, they have reduced the reach of small businesses, brands, and creators especially ones who do not pay to have posts boosted or pay for advertising.
Remember Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube from ten years ago? I do. You could post anything and everything. Your opinion wasn’t censored. Your meme wasn’t going to land you in social media jail. Your video wasn’t going to get deleted or demonetized. You weren’t going to have your account deleted and all your hard work gone over a simple post. You could promote your work and business as much as you wanted and all your followers would see it.
Times have changed, haven’t they? Now social media platforms have obvious political and ideological agendas. They have no problem “fact-checking” you. They have employees who are simply paid to look at everything posted and decide if it is against their community standards. Then you are subjected to someone else’s agenda and opinions who can decide if it is okay for you to post that or not. You will only reach so many people and it doesn’t matter if they are friends, family, or followers who want to see what you are doing.
I wouldn’t be so infuriated by this system if it wasn’t for the censorship and obvious manipulation. They are obviously censoring people now. Even worse, they are insinuating that however you feel and believe is wrong and they will make that point to everyone else. No matter how credible the resource is that you are posting or reposting, you will probably be wrong if they so believe.
How does this relate to prepping and everything else I post about? One thing social media has been good for in my opinion has been the sharing of information and ideas. While I learned a lot of things on my own, I have learned a great deal more from others online. I belong to groups who have taken these areas and brought people together. I follow pages that give me more ideas than I could ever have the time for executing those ideas. Social media has had some good points.
As a website owner and blog writer, I find myself having to diversify to get my ideas and information out there. I regularly use Facebook and Twitter. I post pictures and stories on Instagram. I have posted videos on YouTube. Now I find myself wondering how much longer I will be able to post on these platforms. A lot of you reading this follow me on one or more of those platforms. However, there is a way to really support the creators that you love.
To really support those people you look up to, you need to be visiting and interacting on their websites. You should sign up for their emails. Yes, you may get an email or three with something they are trying to sell, but you can also understand they are trying to make a living too. How much more annoying is it to see all the ads on Facebook? If you don’t want to support it, just delete the email.
On social media platforms, keep visiting and being active in the groups and pages. You can react to their posts and memes to let those in charge know that people still want to see their posts. However, per the new rules, don’t use the angry or sad faces too much. I guess that sends a signal to the powers that be that those posts make people feel a bad feeling that they shouldn’t feel. (Sense the sarcasm)
While these social media platforms can censor people however they see fit, you can find ways to still support your favorite people and groups. I understand social media makes things easier for everyone to see and react, but rarely is a website shut down like they are on social media.
You can also check out and sign up for other platforms that are promising no censorship like MeWe, Parler, and more. I am already at MeWe and am looking into Parler. However, to stay in touch, the best way to sign up for those emails and regularly visit the websites and blogs.
I think censorship is only going to get worse as the politics and ideologies become more divisive. There are certainly people out there who do not ever want their viewpoints challenged in any way possible and will complain if they are challenged. They will flag your post, report you, and do whatever they can to have you removed. The only way around that is to either fight the platform or go find a new place to escape the censorship.
Fight the good fight against censorship and keep fighting for what is right: freedom of speech.
Thanks for reading,
Erica
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