The Importance of Speech Theories and Their Effects on the Real World and Social Media

A theory is a form of speculation that is used by many and can vary from topic to topic, or even from one person to another. There are various forms of theories and values that are protected by the First Amendment in particular, as they are part of a general idea regarding freedom of speech, assembly, the press, and petition, among other important factors, as the official website for the White House states. 

The eight values of free expression are important ways of showcasing and reminding individuals how they are free to communicate their rights. Not only has this been used in real life, but it has also evolved as time has gone on, given the eventual development of technology. This is very evident through the use of social media in today's times, especially since its many platforms are easy to access due to the availability through electronic devices such as phones or computers.

One particular theory that I would like to focus on for this topic revolves around promoting tolerance, or in other words, respecting other people's opinions, no matter how "questionable" or "controversial" they may be. This also applies to hate speech, as it helps people learn about ways to combat it and make their own arguments against it as a whole, therefore being valuable to free expression. 

Hate speech only loses the protection of the First Amendment if incitement, true threats, or fighting words, among other very negative factors, are used. 

For instance, the Snyder v. Phelps case from 2011 showcased how the United States Supreme Court protected the freedom of speech of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas. Years prior in 2006, the group protested near the funeral of Matthew A. Snyder, a Lance Corporal from the Marines killed in Iraq, using signs that used vulgar words and slurs attacking soldiers. This would not be their only case of protesting, as they had done so prior and would continue to use their instance of freedom of speech various times afterward.

Had the signs used threatening statements or fighting words, such as "We will kill every soldier alive" or "Everyone in the government will die soon," then chances are the consequences would have been far worse for the church since said statements and words are not protected under the First Amendment, as previously stated.

A more recent example of freedom of speech being important in the real world revolves around the George Floyd protests, which began in late May 2020. At this point, social media was more prevalent, as evident by the popularity of sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. This example is also agreed by most individuals to be a more positive form of free speech compared to the previously mentioned protests.

One specific site that was used to spread information about the protests was Twitter, which is now known as X due to Elon Musk's involvement in changing the company as a whole. The arrest and murder of George Floyd led to the further relevancy of the Black Lives Matter movement and Twitter appeared to have helped with spreading the word since the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag was used in over 218,000 tweets on May 26th, which was one day after Floyd's death. 

The hashtag would then reach over 8.8 million uses on May 28th and would reach an average of 2 million uses per day until after June 7th. In this case, most instances of the movement were also protected under the First Amendment due to its use of free speech without going beyond the limits of said protection.

Overall, the aforementioned examples are important in terms of showcasing how freedom of speech can impact real life in both positive and negative ways, in addition to the limits in terms of what causes it to be protected under the First Amendment.