Freedom in Social Media: A Philosophical Review of Communication

Abstract

The rise of social media has significantly impacted human life in the second media era, allowing users to interact and share content while shaping public opinion. This study explores the concept of freedom within the realm of social media and examines its implications for human behavior and decision-making. The research draws on philosophical perspectives, focusing on the dynamics of domination, autonomy-correlation, and cosmopolitanism. It highlights the diversity of meanings attributed to freedom and examines the works of various philosophers, including John Stuart Mill and Franz Magnis Suseno, to explore the balance between rights and duties and the responsibility within freedom. Additionally, Erich Fromm's metaphysical dimensions of freedom are analyzed, emphasizing the intertwined nature of human existence. Fromm's concept of freedom, encompassing economic, intellectual, and moral freedom, is applied to evaluate the extent of freedom within social media in modern societies. The study concludes that modern individuals do not possess unrestricted freedom in social media, with limitations observed in economic rights, intellectual decision-making, and moral responsibility. The findings contribute to the understanding of freedom within the context of social media and its implications for contemporary society.