Governor Spencer Cox says social media has ‘played a direct role in every single assassination and assassination attempt’ in recent years.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox has issued a stark warning about the dangers of social media, telling NBC’s Meet the Press that it has played a “direct role” in recent political violence and that “cancer probably isn’t a strong enough word” to describe its impact.
This comes in the wake of the political assassination of Charlie Kirk.
In an interview with host Kristen Welker, Governor Cox linked the rise in political assassination and attempts to the “addictive” nature of social media algorithms. “I believe that social media has played a direct role in every single assassination and assassination attempt that we have seen over the last five, six years,” he stated.
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The governor characterized social media companies as “the most powerful companies in the history of the world” that have “figured out how to hack our brains.” He likened the dopamine hit from online outrage to the chemical response from taking fentanyl, arguing that these platforms deliberately get users “addicted to outrage.”
Governor Cox expressed concern that this escalating violence and division are not problems that a single leader can solve.
Instead, he said, it requires a collective effort from every individual. He called on Americans to “take back our agency” by disengaging from social media, getting back to community, and focusing on personal well-being.
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The governor’s comments come amid a period of heightened political polarization and a series of high-profile violent incidents. He referenced a “dark time in our history” similar to the late 1960s and early 1970s, which also saw a wave of political assassinations.
Governor Cox also noted the difficulty of regulating these powerful companies, revealing that they are actively suing states like Utah to prevent the implementation of laws aimed at curbing their influence. He concluded by urging a societal shift away from the digital world and back to community, stating that it’s time to “turn it off.”
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