Twitter and Instagram ban Kanye West from platforms after antisemitic comments
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Ye, the popular artist known as Kanye West, has been dropped this week by several organizations and partnerships, such as Adidas and Vogue, after recently making antisemitic comments online earlier in October. In a statement, Adidas shared, “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech.”
Adidas and Vogue are not the only organizations severing ties. Twitter and Instagram suspended the musician after he posted to both platforms, saying he was “going death con 3 on Jewish people,” which violates both of the social media platform’s policies on hate speech.
The term Defcon comes from the military, which is an abbreviated phrase of “defense readiness condition.” There are five levels, with Defcon 1 being the most serious. Defcon 3 means, “increase in force readiness above normal readiness.”
Students around the country know Kanye West for his music and relationship with the Kardashians. And many follow him on social media where he is known for sharing and publicizing his opinions and feuds.
Tell me more
Celebrities, just like politicians and influencers, are known to have a loyal following and a large influence. As of now, the hashtag #kanyewest has 16.3 billion views on TikTok with users both defending him and criticizing his actions. This past weekend, a hate group hung a banner over a Los Angeles bypass with a sign reading, “Kanye is right about the Jews.”
This is a dangerous trend, especially since antisemitism is on the rise in the United States according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Earlier this fall, ADL reported that antisemitism hit an all-time high in 2021. With Jewish people representing roughly .2 percent of the world’s population, according to Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan, “Kanye West’s 18 million followers outnumber the 15 million Jews in the world.”
Despite Kanye’s loyal following, several celebrities, actors, and influencers have spoken up to condemn his comments and give their support to the Jewish people.
Kim Kardashian, Kanye’s ex-wife, spoke out against him on Twitter. She posted, “Hate speech is never OK or excusable. I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.”
How is this impacting students?
Social media offers users a chance to interact with role models who support and encourage students (and adults) and follow positive influencers.
Every day, students look up to social media influencers and learn from them. With their influence over the latest trends, what to wear, hearing about social issues, and more, it’s important that students follow positive influencers and role models.
When students hear a prominent celebrity that they admire saying hurtful things about a minority or group, they could be influenced to adhere to those same beliefs.
TSI’s Take
Here at The Social Institute, we are dedicated to empowering and equipping students to follow positive influencers and Use Their Mic For Good. You can as well by encouraging students to use social media in high-character ways and reminding them to:
- Surround themselves with positivity.
- Studies consistently show that people who focus on positive people and content are less stressed, live longer, and are more fulfilled.
- Stay true to their values.
- Sticking to your values can help you avoid being negatively influenced by other people and media.
- Flex their empathy.
- Put yourself in someone else’s shoes and consider how certain posts may make them feel.
Social media is a great place to share our thoughts with the world and connect with like-minded individuals. But, we always want to be mindful of what we post online, because once it is posted, it cannot be taken back. We can learn from these news stories and remember to use social media as an extension of our values and character.
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.