It's a tough subject to navigate, too, which I try to appreciate. I do wish we'd do more to curb the spread of misinformation on social media and hold these companies accountable for what they do with what they collect from us. But I think establishing any federal or state agencies to fact-check these businesses would not just be a step in the wrong direction, it would then add another opportunity for corruption to creep in. I'd be more in favor of pressuring social media companies to take actions themselves, although the numbers of people who put up with Facebook and other platforms even after huge data leaks and security issues is staggering.

Something needs to be done, and I think politicians and lawmakers are scrambling a bit to please their constituents by trying just about any old thing. Of course, this is why it's important for the people to hold their elected officials responsible. But what about when the people they represent are divided, too? Or lack the required knowledge to really analyze some of these issues? In my view, this is exactly what's happening and why a lot of us feel so embattled. Social media is a brand new technology changing how we communicate, much like TV and radio did before now, and every time we see these massive technological developments, we spend years just trying to figure out where the lines should be. Assuming we ever figured that out with TV and radio in the first place, and didn't just move on to the next new thing. ;-)

Thank you as well for your responses. It's always nice to talk to someone capable of dialoging on these things in a reasonable manner, even when they challenge my own perspective. I hope my responses are equally civil and reasonable, and I'm glad to hear it sounds like that's how they've been received.