Utah Gov. Spencer Cox tells people to ‘touch grass’ and stay off social media in wake of Charlie Kirk assassination: ‘Cancer on our society’

Utah’s governor inspired the general public to avoid social media within the wake of Charlie Kirk assassination this week — calling apps like X, Fb and TikTok a “most cancers on our society” and telling residents to “contact grass.”

Gov. Spencer Cox mentioned the bloody, horrifying pictures of the 31-year-old conservative activist’s Wednesday capturing loss of life, that are nonetheless circulating on social media, are too brutal for folks to see and can solely result in psychological injury.

“We aren’t wired as human beings — biologically, traditionally — we’ve not developed in a method that we’re able to processing these forms of violent imagery,” the governor argued. 

Cox, 50, serving in his second time period as Utah’s governor, additionally referenced pictures of the deadly “ugly stabbing” of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a light-rail practice in Charlotte, N.C., that “went viral” as another excuse to keep away from social media platforms.   

“This isn’t good for us,” he mentioned of watching the killing of human beings. “It’s not good to devour.”

“Social media is a most cancers on our society proper now,” Cox added. “I might encourage folks to sign off, flip off, contact grass, hug a member of the family, exit and do good in your neighborhood.”

Earlier within the press convention, Cox shared a number of quotes attributed to Kirk, together with a June X put up from the Turning Level USA founder, in an effort to mood the web discourse surrounding the assassination.  

“When issues are transferring very quick and individuals are shedding their minds, it’s essential to remain grounded. Flip off your telephone, learn scripture, spend time with mates, and bear in mind web fury shouldn’t be actual life. It’s going to be okay,” Cox mentioned, quoting Kirk. 

The governor mentioned he seen Kirk’s assassination — allegedly by the hands of suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, 22 — as a “watershed in American historical past” and that it is going to be as much as Individuals to find out “what sort of watershed.” 

“Is that this the tip of a darkish chapter in our historical past, or the start of a darker chapter in our historical past?” Cox mentioned. 

The governor added that the general public now has the selection to both “escalate” or “discover an off-ramp,” and he urged folks to decide on the latter.