Twitter's supposed "free speech absolutist" leadership has removed verification checkmarks for accounts unwilling to pay $8/month, including my own. Here's why I am not paying to keep it.
It's true that free speech is in danger. Across the country, new laws are preventing teachers from teaching and criminalizing parents and physicians for providing children with the health care they need. One solution is misinformation moderation on Twitter and elsewhere - not a pay-to-play platform that does nothing to encourage true open and constructive dialogue.
Over the past several years, we have seen the real-world, life-and-death consequences of medical misinformation. Hate speech has nearly doubled in the past several months, especially after the departure of Twitter staff who worked on trust, safety, and security. There's a real problem here, and it's not the checkmarks originally put in place to prevent impersonation and spam.
It shouldn't be this way. I believe social media can be a powerful democratic tool, adding more voices to public debate. However, it can also encourage violence and threaten the democratic process.
I'm still on Twitter because I continue to learn from the academic medicine community. Many of us share research, make meaningful connections, and advocate for ways to make our communities healthier and more equitable. The connections we have are real, and they make a difference in the real world. I find it so valuable to engage with you directly on Twitter, as well as on LinkedIn and here on the AAMC's own Virtual Communities network.
As we navigate these challenges on- and offline, let's not allow the loudest voices to drown out the many who still want to use these platforms to improve our world. And let's continue to discuss the ways they do or do not serve us.
What are your thoughts on the best way to maintain our community as these platforms shift? How are your organizations responding to the evolving changes? I would love to hear from you.
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David Skorton
President and CEO
Association of American Medical Colleges
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