Social media, truth, and violence

Question 1

What is social media

Answer 1

internet-based tools/platforms that facilitate communication, interaction and sharing of content between individuals or groups

Question 2

The initial optimism in 1990s & 2000s

Answer 2

fostering social connection and understanding both locally and globally
‘democratising’ knowledge creation and access to knowledge
new business and marketing opportunities
personal expression and creativity
new opportunities for political participation & organising

Question 3

Growing pessimism from 2010s to present

Answer 3

privacy & security concerns
hate speech, bullying, harassment
mental health: addiction, anxiety, depression, loneliness, self-esteem
misinformation, disinformation, fake news
echo chambers & polarization
propaganda & government manipulation

Question 4

What is a public sphere

Answer 4

a realm of social life where people come together to discuss matters of common concern

Question 5

What does the abstract idea include about where information is discussed

Answer 5

public squares, parks, town halls
clubs, interest groups, professional societies, labour unions
the press: newspapers, news channels, radio, magazines
social media: online platforms

Question 6

What are the conditions of a democratic public sphere

Answer 6

1. rights. freedom of expression and association
2. opportunities. fair access to means of expression and association
3. diversity. exposure to wide range of views on public issues
4. deliberative virtues. share commitment of truth, the common good and civility

Question 7

Cohen & Fung 2021

Answer 7

Analogue public sphere 20th century
digital public sphere 21st century

Question 8

Analogue public sphere

Answer 8

‘narrow-aperture’ world
Oligopoly of mass-media corporations/agencies
Small number of TV stations, radio stations, newspapers, magazines
Low economic competition allowed journalists to be autonomous, guided by norms of professional responsibility: ‘getting (and presenting) the truth, providing a representative picture of social groups, providing a forum for comment and criticism, clarifying public values, and offering comprehensive coverage’
Results: homogeneous public culture with low polarisation; common agreement on basic facts

Question 9

digital public sphere

Answer 9

A ‘wide-aperture’ world
Numerous platforms/channels with low barriers to information access, generation, and exchange
Content curation on the basis of engagement and complaint, not journalistic norms
Results: improved opportunities for expression, access to information, and diversity
Greater polarisation and fragmentation inhibits truth-seeking, common-good orientation, and civility
Online harassment threatens right to expression and association
Lower signal-to-noise ratio makes truth harder to find
Misinformation, disinformation, and fake news inhibit access to reliable information
Content moderators are motivated by business goals, not by professional commitments to objectivity and fairness

Question 10

Ziliotti et al. 2023

Answer 10

Social media and conceptual disruption

Question 11

Social media and conceptual disruption

Answer 11

social media disrupts concept of democracy - severed relationship between demos & public sphere
social media creates one global public sphere - allowing external voices to influence domestic politics