FOX 11 In Depth: The dangers of social media

SEGMENT A:  Gilroy Mass Shooting

The tragic shooting that left 3 people dead and 12 wounded in Gilroy, CA has reopened the discussion about Hate Groups and Hate Speech online. Marc Berkman, Executive Director of the Organization for Social Media Safety helps us understand the impact of Hate online, and the need for more action. Ed Peisner, the Organization’s Founder, and his son, Jordan, know first-hand about the dangers that lurk online. Jordan was viciously attacked by people seeking to post video of the beating online, hoping to get more “likes.”

If you would like more information on the Organization for Social Media Safety go to their webpage at www.ofsms.org

SEGMENT B:  DeepFakes

There is a new word for another online danger: DeepFakes. New apps allow users to put one person’s face on someone else’s body. It can be a political trick, or a fake porn video. And it can unfairly change the way we perceive someone else online. Now California Assemblyman Tim Grayson wants to make some DeepFakes illegal. We also talk to USC Associate Professor Hao Li, a leading expert on computer graphics, about how DeepFakes could develop over the next few years, as the software becomes more powerful. 

SEGMENT C:  “Thinspiration” Danger

There are sites all over the internet that encourage people in their eating disorders. We talk to Psychologist Dr. Gia Marson and former model and current mental health advocate Nikki Dubose about the dangers of reinforcing a negative self-image online.

SEGMENT D:  Final Thoughts

We preview our latest Podcasts, including one with Mickey Stevenson, who help build the Motown label into a powerhouse. Mickey discovered artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, along with many others.