By: Jocelyn Alesio ’24

     The rich are taking over.  Since the Gilded Age, the economically advantaged have attempted to smash the working class and reign in a way that proves a strange Darwinistic agenda.

     This has continued, but now it feels almost dystopian with Elon Musk at the helm. Elon Musk’s net worth is 178 billion dollars. He’s the wealthiest man in the world, but how does that impact the middle class? 

     Musk and his tech-centered lifestyle have had an effect that seems to be incomparable. With his CEO association with SpaceX and Tesla and now recent purchase of Twitter, it’s obvious that regardless of opinions about him, he has a grip on quite a few industries. His business style and wealth are almost admirable, the problem is how he acts based on the amount of money, power and glory he has.  

     Since Musk’s purchase of Twitter, things have worsened. It appears as if any content filtering has been thrown away entirely, with slurs against minority groups increasing since the acquisition. Twitter has become trashed by Musk and has become significantly less safe for its users. Musk allowed Donald Trump back on the platform after over a year of the ex-president being banned.

     Musk’s focus on free speech has become out of hand. Most people can agree that the amendments hold true, but things have still gone too far.  Musk is, unfortunately, putting many in harm’s way by allowing dangerous people to spread hate so freely. 

     Social media should not have such an intense impact on people, but it does because that’s the world that we live in. Humans are impressionable, even more so via technology. Other social media platforms flag posts with potentially false information, put bans on those who post inappropriately and temporarily suspend users who don’t comply with the rules. 

It’s unclear if Musk’s actions are due to his insane social status or ignorance of the issues that he could create, but the power he has due to his financial status is enough of a red flag for me.