Join us in active dialogue as we unpack the ideas brought up during the event, FREE SPEECH BATTLES – Internet Speech and Democratic Politics. Guest speaker Jaime Settle, author of Frenemies: How Social Media Polarizes America will kick-off the post-event dialogue and then we will breakout into smaller groups.
The Andrea Mitchell Center and SNF Paideia Program are hosting Free Speech Battles – Internet Speech and Democratic Policies
when we consider the potential threats posed by social media to our democracy, we tend to focus on bad actors and their malicious intent. From this standpoint, the task of protecting democracy while preserving legitimate speech is a matter of targeting the trolls and bots that distort online discourse. Jaime Settle suggests that the problem goes deeper. It may be that the forms of expression found on social media undermine, in and of themselves, the mutual tolerance required by a functioning democracy – that we become our own worst enemies. In the face of this challenge, Settle offers a framework to reduce polarization while upholding free speech rights.
TableTalk Penn is a student-run organization dedicated to fostering meaningful conversations on a wide range of topics between members of the Penn community that would have never otherwise met. At TableTalk Penn events, facilitators guide small discussion groups about a chosen topic by asking thought-provoking questions. TableTalk Penn is committed to allowing participants to share their unique perspectives on issues in an open forum in which students can learn with, grow from, and understand one another. TableTalk Penn hopes to continue the conversation on the Free Speech Battles discussion and offer attendees with an opportunity to discuss their own ideas.
Registration is required.
This event is open to members of the Penn community. Please use your Penn email address when registering so that we can confirm your Penn affiliation.