The New Normal

Share this post

What Thoughts on Covid are Being Self-Censored?

www.michaelpsenger.com

What Thoughts on Covid are Being Self-Censored?

Michael P Senger
Jun 17, 2022
96
73
Share
Share this post

What Thoughts on Covid are Being Self-Censored?

www.michaelpsenger.com

At every stage, from the initial lockdowns and masks to school closures and vaccines, the strict censorship of facts and ideas that diminish support for the mandates of governments and the World Health Organization—regardless of their cost and efficacy—has been central to the response to Covid-19, especially on social media and within professional organizations. On numerous occasions, the federal government has specifically encouraged big tech companies to ramp up this policy, and the recent flurry of bans of anti-lockdown activists for sharing perfectly innocuous information proves that this censorship shows no sign of slowing down, even as we enter lockdown season 2022. This has some commentators discussing the understudied role of self-censorship in the response to Covid.

Twitter avatar for @phillyharper
Phil Harper | Substack @phillyharper
I'm hopeful that this is beginning to be understood by the wider twittersphere. This is a fairly tame, but very clear example of the scale of censorship that has been taking place. The worst outcome is not the direct censorship, but that people start to self-censor.
Twitter avatar for @laurajfagan
Laura Fagan @laurajfagan
Today Twitter permanently suspended my friend @galexybrane for citing @pfizer’s own press release. Guess that means Pfizer is next, right? Is that how this works? https://t.co/7w9T282LSN https://t.co/yZLIipHA3L
6:01 AM ∙ Jun 17, 2022
269Likes85Retweets

Indeed, the arbitrary and unpredictable banning of citizens for sharing innocuous Covid facts that the government disfavors has effectively turned sites like Twitter into a digital Pyongyang, with most large users terrified to venture anywhere near the subject.

Fortunately, here on Substack, we don’t have that problem. So let’s hear from you: Are there thoughts that you’ve been afraid to post on big social media sites throughout the response to Covid? Please share them below.


Michael P Senger is an attorney and author of Snake Oil: How Xi Jinping Shut Down the World. Want to support my work? Get the book. Already got the book? Leave a quick review.

96
73
Share
Share this post

What Thoughts on Covid are Being Self-Censored?

www.michaelpsenger.com
73 Comments
GeroDoc
Writes Life In Long Term Care Land
Jun 17, 2022Liked by Michael P Senger

Hi there - I'm a geriatrician specialist and I work for a very prominent large public agency running a long term care facility. I have self-censored for the last 2+ years my growing horror as to what we've done to the lives of my residents in the name of COVID avoidance. They live far more meaningless, depressing, and what I suspect - shorter and more debilitated lives because of it. If you want to hear me talk about it I'm at https://gerodoc.substack.com/

Expand full comment
Reply
3 replies by Michael P Senger and others
academic adjacent
Jun 17, 2022Liked by Michael P Senger

I'm not the least bit self-censoring on Twitter, but I highly self-censor on Facebook to avoid the wrath of friends who can't handle contradictory information on COVID. I have been mocked and cursed, literally, by friends I've had for 30 years. Never try to teach a pig to sing; it only frustrates you and the pig.

Expand full comment
Reply
4 replies
71 more comments…
Top
New
Community

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Michael P Senger
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing