CHECK Magazin - Gesundheitsmagazin für Männer No.12

Community
Interview: Torsten Schwick
Image courtesy of Mindy Tucker (withreservation)
Social media has allowed more people to
express more opinions. So it is all the more
astonishing that many people feel that they
are not allowed to say what they think and
therefore prefer not to say anything at all. One
person who should know something about free
speech is podcaster and author Lars Lindauer.
Have you ever found it difficult to freely
express your opinion?
In recent years I have noticed how important it
is to me – especially when it comes to hotly contested
political or social issues – to actually speak up and
clearly express my opinion. Sometimes every voice
matters. Depending on the situation, that’s not always
easy for me. But sometimes it is enough to signal to very
opinionated people that they are going too far or are
too loud or too intrusive – or just talking nonsense.
Many people think that your opinion
doesn’t matter and that they
can’t change anything. Why do you
think there is such uncertainty?
Today we have many opportunities to publicly
express our opinions. You’re constantly being made
to feel like you have a say, especially on social media.
It hasn’t always been like this. But that doesn’t
automatically mean that someone is listening or that
something actually changes as a result. For example, if
you frequently leave comments about a bias towards
a particular sex or social gender but the editors don’t
pick up on it, this can also be frustrating. Often nobody
really listens, because it’s often just about clicks.
Especially in social media, one hears again
and again about pressure to conform
and the law of the loudest. Do you have
any tips on how to make your own voice
better heard?
Don’t try to simply shout the loudest. Or be more
insulting or blatant, in order to distance yourself from a
supposed consensus. That’s no use at all and nobody will
listen anyway. If in doubt, I try to explain objectively
what my concern is. If someone then listens and a
dialogue develops, great. But even in social media there
is no right to actually be heard. I don’t directly perceive
any pressure to conform.
“ I think it’s a good
development that
today we’re more
concerned about
what statements or
words hurt others,
instead of just
blathering about
any old thing
without thinking.”
What about trolls or bots? Does freedom
of speech scare you sometimes?
No, freedom of speech and expression is of course
important and right! Perhaps some confuse freedom of
expression with being able to say what they want. This
does not cover insults or death threats. We still have to
put up with trolls and bots for the time being – at least
as long as the social media companies themselves do not
take stronger and faster action. It is important to fight
back by reporting incidents or insults.
There is unanimity on very few issues
in our society. What are your rules of
thumb for finding consensus in conversations?
One of my rules is not to enter into conversations
with a fixed and very strong opinion. This is often
difficult for me, especially when it comes to topics that
are close to my heart. But if you try to understand the
situation of the other participants in the conversation,
you often also understand where strong or loud
opinions come from.
So it is better to take a step back from time to time in
order to leave the conversation forgiving, instead of not
speaking at all. Agree to disagree.
Luke Evans or Ricky Martin?
Britney Spears!
13 CHECK MAG #12