Author ORCID Identifier
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
4-2025
Keywords
First Amendment, social media, normative, harm, content, Meta, X
Degree Name
Philosophy, Politics and Law (BA)
First Advisor
Dr. Wendy Martinek
Second Advisor
Dr. Donald Nieman
Abstract
We live in a world in which the internet is unavoidable. It is used for our everyday tasks (such as sending business emails) and is even used to communicate with other individuals around the world (through messaging services, for example). Another unavoidable aspect of the internet is social media; it is used for communication, news gathering, and engaging in discussion, inter alia. Sometimes, the way individuals use social media is quite aversive. Thus, social media companies have rightfully tried to govern their platforms in a way that attempts to reduce the harm that comes from aversive content. However, social media companies are overly restrictive in the way they govern their platforms, leading to inappropriate and harmful restrictions on the freedom of speech. In this essay, you will find an explanation of First Amendment values and how John Stuart Mill’s marketplace of ideas is the best way to respect First Amendment values. You will also learn about my test to determine whether content is harmful and when it may be permissibly removed from social media, called the Harmful Content Test.
Recommended Citation
Watts, Liam, "Preserving First Amendment Values: Social Media and the Harmful Content Test" (2025). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 54.
https://orb.binghamton.edu/undergrad_honors_theses/54
