A Code of Ethics for the Chronically Online

A Code of Ethics for the Chronically Online

From Heretic Hereafter Podcast by Katharine Strange

March 25, 2026 · 7 min · Season 3 · Episode 13

About this episode

Katharine Strange reflects on her 35-day break from social media and discusses the ethical implications of social media platforms.

It’s been 35 days since I logged onto social media. Apart from some minor boredom, it hasn’t been that bad. During my time away, I’ve delved into research on how the socials work and spent time reevaluating my own relationship to them. Here are some lessons I’ve learned and how I’m going to change my behavior going forward. Social media really is that bad. Virtually all the platforms I researched are designed for subscriber growth and profit over any sort of responsibility. Twitter/X is a cesspool of revenge porn and death threats. Instagram has been found legally liable in one case of teenaged suicide and accused in countless others. Facebook has been implicated in genocide in Myanmar and political violence in countries such as the Philippines and Ethiopia , to say nothing of its role in American political violence. Heretic Hereafter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. We’ve had whistleblower after whistleblower come forward to show that these sites prioritize user engagement over basic health and safety concerns and have a devil-may-care attitude towards election interference. As Sarah…

People in this episode

Host: Katharine Strange

Topics covered

  • social media ethics
  • personal reflection
  • accountability
  • mental health
  • platform responsibility
  • user engagement

Keywords

  • social media
  • ethics
  • accountability
  • mental health
  • user engagement
  • platforms
  • responsibility

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook

Places: Myanmar, Philippines, Ethiopia

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