Just imagine…

You’re a young adult in the United States; it’s election year, and for the first time, you get to vote. You aren’t sure you can trust main-stream media. After all, it isn’t just middle-aged and older adults who distrust the media. According to a survey done by SKEMA Business School, young adults also share a deep, widespread distrust in traditional media. You begin researching and following different social media pages so that you can be kept up to date with all things that could impact your voting decisions. At first, this is really exciting. 

However, as time goes on, you start to realize that not everything is adding up. There is some entertaining information, some conflicting information, and some information that is incredibly concerning. You aren’t sure what to believe.

Through the magic of social media algorithms, you begin to notice a shift in the content you are seeing. Everything makes sense, and you agree with almost everything that’s in your feed. This makes you feel good. You start sharing posts from people you know and trust without researching the content. You are starting to feel incredibly confident in your beliefs, and you can’t imagine how anyone else could believe in anything else. You’ve found your place in the political world, you are comfortable in the social media community, and you have become more active in sharing and commenting.

And then someone comments on a post you shared. They have included facts from trusted sources that dispel the theory that you wholeheartedly believe. As it turns out, you’ve been caught in a whirlwind of conspiracy theories, and your bubble just burst. Your world starts crashing down. You are overcome with emotion.

You’re not alone.

According to a 2017 analysis of government survey data by University of Oxford and University of Liverpool researchers, more than a quarter of the American population believes there are conspiracies “behind many things in the world.”

I thought I was so smart…

how did this happen?

Social media plays a significant role in getting conspiracy theories in front of people who might be susceptible to them.

Beliefs in conspiracy theories and misinformation, while often lacking a factual basis, can lead to various detrimental real-world outcomes, including a lack of trust in media and governmental bodies and the instigation of violent or extremist actions.

Social media plays a detrimental role in the spread of conspiracy theories because people are able to surround themselves and confirm their beliefs without opposition in a sort of echo chamber. This can be dangerous, as this approval encourages the spread of misinformation among an audience with shared beliefs. Many believe that social media algorithms compound societal issues by tailoring content to users’ preferences.

This infographic outlines the four stages of how conspiracy theories can escalate on social media. It’s important to familiarize yourself with this information to help prevent yourself from getting caught up in the conspiracy theory black hole.

According to Science Daily, “previous research has shown that people gravitate toward conspiracy theories that affirm or validate their political views.” There is no data to specify a political party being more easily influenced by conspiracy theories, but people are influenced based on their existing beliefs and emotions. We don’t base all our beliefs and opinions on flawless reasoning and exhaustive research. This explains why about half of the American public consistently endorses at least one conspiracy theory.

Knowledge is power!

The Brookings Institution found that “YouTube’s recommendation algorithm does not lead the vast majority of users down extremist rabbit holes, although it does push users into increasingly narrow ideological ranges of content in what we might call evidence of a (very) mild ideological echo chamber.” Being aware of this type of behavior is an important step in identifying and learning to avoid the conspiracy theory rabbit hole.

As a young adult navigating an election year in the United States, it’s crucial to recognize the tactics employed to lure you into believing conspiracy theories. While it may not be feasible to extensively research every piece of information you encounter, becoming familiar with the insights shared here can empower you to identify and resist conspiracy theories more effectively. By honing your critical thinking skills and staying vigilant against manipulation tactics, you can safeguard yourself from being ensnared by misinformation during this critical period.

Instagram (Meta)

Instagram, or Meta, works to fight the spread of misinformation using third-party fact-checkers that are certified through the non-partisan International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).

“We don’t think a private company like Meta should be deciding what’s true or false, which is exactly why we have a global network of fact-checking partners who independently review and rate potential misinformation across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.”

Instagram utilizes a combination of feedback from users as well as technology to determine what needs to be sent to fact-checkers.

As a user, once a post has been flagged, Instagram gives users the option to decide for themselves what to read, trust, and share. A post flagged for containing misinformation will still be accessible, but the image will be blurred out and have a text overlay stating that false information has been identified. Users then have the option to see why it has been flagged, as well as the option to view the post anyway.

On the back end, Instagram reduces the post’s distribution by removing it from Explore and hashtag pages. It also communicates with Facebook and will automatically label identical content across platforms.

They also offer quite a few built-in tools that can be turned on or off in each account depending on a user’s preference. In my personal experience, these tools are enabled by Instagram without the user’s knowledge. While I find it important for a company to take action regarding the spread of misinformation on their site, as a user, I find it annoying to be restricted access to content without my knowing it is being done.

In an effort to prevent repeat offenders from spreading misinformation, user accounts that repeatedly post misinformation will be restricted in various ways. Users may get a warning when trying to tag or share information from flagged accounts. The accounts will also be made more difficult to find. In extreme circumstances, when an account goes against community guidelines, it will be disabled entirely.

Overall, I think Instagram does a fairly good job of implementing tools that can help limit the spread of misinformation. The only thing I would change would be in regard to the filters they automatically enable in the app. As a user, I want to be made aware of any filters that automatically restrict my access to content. If Instagram were more transparent with the filters they enable, it would help increase the public’s trust in the platform.

X, formerly Twitter

The social media platform X, formerly Twitter is an interesting social media platform to research because it has gone completely against the grain. Since Elon Musk‘s takeover of X, the company has gotten rid of content moderation teams, which is unheard of in any online space. While the goal was to provide users with the ability to access and share all information without restriction, bad actors are showing that this may not have been a good move for X.

According to European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova, “X had the “largest ratio of mis/disinformation posts” among the platforms that submitted reports to the EU.” (Sept. 2023)

X has shifted to a new model where you can pay for verification of your account. While this may seem like a good idea because a user has verified they are a real person, this does not mean they are sharing reliable information, as proven by NewsGuard.

“Utilizing a combination of human and artificial intelligence, NewsGuard reviewed the top 250 posts on X containing misinformation that received the most likes, reposts, replies and bookmarks since the start of the conflict on Oct. 7. The analysis found that 186 accounts of the 250, 74 percent, had been verified.”

They have also launched engagement-based revenue sharing. The changes that have been made to the company since Musk’s takeover have led to a flood of misinformation on the site. 

I do not personally use X. My Twitter account was hacked years ago, and I was never able to regain access. With all of the drama surrounding the platform, I was never tempted to sign up again. After reviewing the large amount of misinformation being spread on the platform, it does not appeal to me in the least. If I were going to change anything about Twitter, it would be to regain trust of it’s users. I would put efforts into banning bot accounts and removing the paywall for verified users.

There is a stark difference between each of these companies approaches to preventing the spread of misinformation. While it is not required, I think there is a lot of value in companies taking responsibility for providing reliable and true content to users. Sometimes the filters and warnings can get annoying, but I would much rather be notified that something may be wrong and do my own research than be bombarded with misinformation that is being spread with malice.

As we scroll through social media, we oftentimes read headlines and take them at face value without doing any additional digging. It’s become common practice not to fact-check information beyond our first impression of it. “A survey of 1,492 American adults in 2014 found that 58% did not watch, read, or hear any news beyond the headlines in the previous week.”

However, when we only read headlines, we can be misled, whether intentionally or not. As mentioned by Full Fact, “often something important goes missing, or they [journalists] end up saying something else by mistake.”

This can cause a lot of confusion and misinformation. That is why it is always best to do your own research to confirm the claims you see. One method of doing this is called SIFT.

SIFT stands for stop, investigate, find, and trace.

How do you use SIFT?

Let’s use this article from Facebook to walk through the steps of SIFT.

The post starts with an attention-grabbing caption: “Can this save hockey in the desert?”

The article headline reads: “Arizona Coyotes release details of proposed entertainment district near Scottsdale.”

For any NHL Coyotes fans. in Arizona, this will get your attention due to the team’s inability to secure a home stadium for the past two years.

At this point, we will want to stop and see who is making this claim. Do we trust them?

Arizona’s Family is a reputable news source in the valley; however, for this exercise, we will assume we do not know who they are. What do we do next?

We want to investigate who the source, Arizona Family, is. With a quick search, we can find their “About” page on their website. They provide a statement outlining who they are, who they serve, and who they are owned by.

Through further research, we find that Gray Media Group is a publicly traded media company that was founded in 1946 and they currently own or operate 180 stations across the U.S.

This seems like a solid source for news; let’s move on to the next step.

Now we want to find additional sources reporting on this story. To do this, I did a quick search of “Coyotes propose arena Scottsdale“. The search brings up multiple well-known sites, as well as some less familiar sites covering the same story.

I found the variations in headlines interesting. A lot of the other outlets provided headlines that stated more factual information in their titles. This was encouraging when researching the validity of the original claim, and I ended up learning more information from the additional coverage I reviewed. This leads us to the final step.

In the final step, we want to trace the information back to the original source, which in this case is the Arizona Coyotes themselves. On their website, they released a very detailed announcement of their plans. While the Arizona Family article did not have as much factual information as the original source, it did prove to be a true claim.

In this instance, I thought the initial post was playing on emotions a little and possibly trying to get clicks. By the end, I could see that they had played to emotion in their original post, but the claim they made was in fact correct and from a reputable source.

There are many instances where this process would uncover misinformation. As we head into a political season, it will be especially important for people to strengthen their media literacy and ability to fact-check information so as not to be misled.

Through the SIFT process, we are able to identify a source’s legitimacy and do our own fact-checking to see if a claim being made is true. This is a good practice to get into before taking a headline as fact or allowing ourselves to be misled by bad actors.

4:30am
My cellphone alarm goes off. I blindly tap on my phone screen until it stops making noise.

4:35am
My snooze period has ended, and my cell phone alarm goes off again. This time I pick up my phone, turn the alarm off, and set the phone back down.

4:55am
I get in my car and connect Apple Car Play. I open Spotify and put on my morning workout mix. I listen to “Superman” by Eminem on my drive to the gym down the road.

5:00am
I put headphones in and continue listening to my Spotify playlist while I walk into the gym.

5:01am
I pick the treadmill I want to use. It has a full view of ten different television sets, all with various channels displayed. I hit speed three and max incline and start my morning wakeup routine.

5:02am
Ignoring all of the television sets, I finally turn sleep mode off on my phone and get to work, catching up on every social media app I have on my phone. I start with Instagram. My boyfriend has sent me ten different reels to watch. I scroll through them, replying as necessary. Most of them are recipes that he wants to try to cook with me. One or two are entertaining reels of jokes. Instagram algorithms have not quite figured out what I like, so I do not spend too much time on this app. 

5:07am
I briefly switched to Facebook only to find that my account has been restricted for trying to tag myself in a photo. Another short-lived app experience.

5:09am
I open my email app. I quickly select all of the spam messages and mass delete them. There are a couple of emails from my daughter’s school that I read and forward to her dad to review.

5:11am
I look up at the television sets for the first time. There is one news station reporting on Trump stating he’s raised a large amount of money. One television has HGTV on it. Another television has a report showing what appears to be some sort of violent uprising, but the headline is unclear. I quickly lose interest and go back to my phone.

5:12am
I open TikTok. I start my mind-numbing scroll-a-thon. My TikTok feed has a variety of videos showcasing motivational messages, recipes, places to travel, and “remember in the 90’s when…”

5:55am
I stop scrolling and wipe down my treadmill. My Spotify playlist is back on, and I head home. Once home, I get my daughter ready for school, feed the animals, pick up a little, and sign on for work. My work computer consumes the majority of my day.

11:30am
On my breaks from work, I squeeze in some Mind Hunter on Netflix (I am so close to finishing; I watch it whenever I have some free time now).

3:00pm
I sign off of work and check my phone again. I have a couple of texts from parents at my daughter’s school. I open them and reply.

3:10pm
I open up Instagram and see an announcement from Kate Middleton.
She has cancer. I close the app.

3:25pm
It’s time to pick my daughter up from school. I get in my car, open Apple Car Play, and open Audible. I listen to “The Covenant of Water” while I drive to my daughter’s school.

3:50pm
My daughter gets in the car, and I open Spotify again. This time, I select my daughter’s playlist, which plays the remainder of the time we are in the car.

4:30pm
I decide I want to try making empanadas. I watch a couple of videos I took of my friend teaching me a couple of days earlier and get to work.

6:30pm
It’s Friday evening, and my family and I sit down for dinner. No phones, tablets, or televisions are allowed during our family dinners. We talk about our days.

8:00pm
I get ready to sit down for family movie night. Tonight is my daughter’s pick, and we are watching the new Willy Wonka movie.

While tracking my media usage throughout the day, I realized that I do not subject myself to a large amount of media that requires fact-checking. I do not put a lot of trust in mainstream media, so I tend to ignore news that I see from them. If there does happen to be something worth giving my attention to on the television sets in the morning, I will watch the various news channels broadcasting their own views and try to pick out the pertinent information, or look it up online to see what is credible.
I use social media as a form of entertainment throughout the day rather than a source of truth. Over the years, I’ve found that it can be very addicting, and I make it a point to limit my intake. I set screen time limits on my phone and adhere to them. In a world that thrives on so much media use, I am probably in the minority of media consumption, even though I feel like I am constantly on my phone or exposed to different forms of media every day.
A majority of the news that I hear about is sent directly to me by people that I know. When someone does send me a link, I try to read or watch the entire report, and then I try to find another source reporting the same thing to pick out any bias or misinformation that might be present. I think it is incredibly important to be media-literate. I prefer to fact-check everything that is sent to me to ensure that I have the correct information so that I can form my own opinions and speak confidently in conversation.

Benefits and Drawbacks

There are a wide array of emergent issues facing free expression across various sectors.

Private Internet Companies—Social Media or Otherwise

Private internet companies, specifically social media companies, are key institutions in the 21st century digital public sphere. As a society, it has never been easier for individuals to connect and communicate with one another. We use the technology available to discuss and share art, thoughts, opinions, ideas, etc. Social media provides a platform where free expression seems readily available. However, it is not.

Social media companies are privately owned companies that have their own policies in place to regulate content based on their values and guidelines. While it seems necessary for the companies to moderate content to meet these norms, it means they do not provide a space in which the First Amendment can be fully exercised. This regulation and implementation of a company’s terms of service threaten one’s right to free expression. To overcome this threat, social media companies should work to find other trusted institutions to moderate content shared by their users.

“Without the connective tissue of trusted and trustworthy intermediate institutions guided by professional and public-regarding norms, the values that freedom of speech is designed to serve are increasingly at risk.”

Social media companies allow people to express themselves in new and exciting ways, but they must be careful not to infringe on free expression through their moderation of content.

Government and Policymaking

The government is in a tricky spot in today’s age, especially when it comes to social media. Because social media companies are privately owned, they have their own rules and standards they enforce. These policies, if regulated by government standards, would violate First Amendment rights.

“If social media companies are treated as state actors and have to abide by existing free speech doctrines—at least in the United States—they will simply not be able to moderate effectively…the minimum requirements for effective online moderation would violate the First Amendment.”

While the government cannot control content that is posted on social media, they do still participate in enforcing rules based on agreements users accept with different social media companies. Through New York Times vs. Sullivan, we saw controversy over free speech of content that was printed. The government does not have control over social media content, but the policies they create do influence what is protected under the First Amendment.

Media and the News Industry

The media and the news industry have been the biggest contributors to the growth of free expression being distributed to the masses. Through the years, media companies have created their own standards to uphold, which has influenced what content they will share.

“20th century media companies often limited speech far more than the law required.”

These standards safeguard the public and ensure decent content is shared with the public; however, they also mean free expression can be limited. Companies often pick and choose content they want to share that fits their brand. For example, porn would not be broadcast on a news channel. This type of standard is created and implemented by the company but is also backed up by legal requirements against defamation, obscenity, and indecency.

The landscape of free expression is undergoing significant shifts across various sectors, posing both opportunities and challenges. Thanks to advancements in technology, individuals enjoy unprecedented connectivity and the ability to exchange ideas through various outlets. Yet, the regulation of content by privately owned entities, guided by their own policies rather than constitutional principles, raises concerns about the full exercise of free speech rights. With these new platforms, we see a lot of benefits, but they also pose the challenge of upholding the essence of free expression.

It’s no secret that the internet has changed the playing field when it comes to mass communications and freedom of expression. There are countless platforms available where people can share just about anything they want. You no longer have to be a media professional, journalist, publishing company, or media conglomerate to publish content for the masses.

The accessibility and ease of use the internet provides have drastically impacted how people practice their First Amendment rights.

With this change, we’ve faced a new set of challenges regarding freedom of speech. We are constantly trying to find the balance between people’s rights and values and the assumed responsibility of protecting the public.

The idea of ranking values and rights in the digital age is an interesting perspective to consider.

Values are incredibly personal and can vary greatly depending on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, their upbringing, their community, and their religion. Because of this, it does not seem appropriate for any entity to rank values.

That leaves us with rights. Our government and private companies are constantly trying to determine and define what rights exist in the digital age. Does the introduction of new technology change people’s rights? The argument regarding regulation and where responsibility for content lies is ongoing.

Congress enacted the Communications Decency Act in 1996 as one piece of legislation that attempts to address this concern. This Act has important points that have helped to shape the dynamic of free speech and the regulation and responsibility of content on the internet.

“The statute effectively eliminates most ordinary legal responsibilities assumed by traditional publishers with respect to third-party content.”

This removal of responsibility for the content from the internet provider and placing it with each individual contributor suggests full freedom of expression for users. But there is still a constant battle over content and censorship.

Should the government, or any private company, be allowed to censor content?

In my opinion, no. One’s right to freedom of expression should not be infringed upon.

Not only was the First Amendment created to prevent any intervention from the government regarding free expression, but the United Nations has also created a Universal Declaration of Human Rights outlining the same.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any medium, regardless of frontiers.”

Multiple countries backing a document outlining freedom of expression, along with the U.S. Constitution, solidify the importance of humans’ right to express themselves without any sort of government regulation.

To really bring this point home and clear up any confusion based on interpretation, that same document ends with Article 30, which states, “Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any state, group, or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.”

Why, then, do we continue to see legislation designed to regulate and suppress free speech, specifically on the internet?

According to Access Now, “governments are leveraging the internet and digital technologies to quell dissent and strip people of their capacity for collective action, online and off, even in contravention of their own domestic laws and international human rights obligations.”

It seems clear that the influx of legislation and the drive to regulate and/or censor people are infringing on our right to freedom of expression. Even in the digital age, the right to freedom of speech should be upheld at all costs.

It should not be up to anyone to determine what is or is not important just because technology has created new ways for people to communicate. The government’s only responsibility should be to protect the rights outlined in the First Amendment and ensure no legislation is passed that limits a person’s ability to express themselves.

Freedom of speech is a topic that everyone has an opinion on. It seems like a straight-forward ideal, but why does it cause so much controversy? What exactly is freedom of speech? What does the First Amendment actually protect? Is free expression at risk with the rise of new technology and social media?

In this discussion, I’ll refer to the First Amendment as the foundation for understanding freedom of speech. The First Amendment says that Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise thereof, abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

My interpretation of this is that we, as United States citizens, should be able to say, write, or protest our beliefs without government interference.

This type of free expression is both a public and a personal value. Whether you want to have your voice heard by just one person or by the masses will determine where the value lies for each person individually.

The roots of freedom of speech can be traced back to Ancient Greece, where two terms, Isegoria and Parrhesia, shed light on its complexities. These are two different terms that can be translated as the same but that hold different meanings.

Isegoria, meaning equal speech in public, emphasizes equal speech in public, focusing on the equality of the ability to speak.

Parrhesia, meaning all saying, focuses on speaking freely and frankly, highlighting the liberty to speak freely and frankly.

The two different interpretations make it evident why there is so much controversy over what free expression means today and why it can be both a public and a personal value. In the United States, we see this struggle for its real meaning in a variety of court cases. These court cases continue to contribute to the evolving understanding of free expression in our country.

With the rise of social media, the ability to express oneself, in terms of parrhesia, has become increasingly important to us. We use social media as a space to show the world who we are, to express our personal views, and to connect with others. In addition, we also strongly value social media as a space where ideas, debate, and civil controversy can thrive.

In the media, whether it be the news or video games, the need for truth has become increasingly paramount. When Rivers Were Trails highlights the importance of truth in expression in the form of a video game; however, the need for truth applies to all forms of expression. By disregarding the truth, whether through ignorance or malice, we end up causing a lot of harm.

While the ability to participate in free expression, as parrhesia, is an ideal we have grown accustomed to, it is important that we focus on equality and representing the truth from all parties, as isegoria.

I believe that free expression must be protected at all costs. As we have seen throughout history, silencing people can be devastating. Every person has a voice, and every person should have the ability to express themselves, especially in the face of adversity. Whether it be a personal story, a political viewpoint, a religious tradition, or a work of art, each of these facets contributes to defining who we are, and everyone should have the ability to share their identity with the world.

This week, I experimented with writing a factual post using ChatGPT.

I asked ChatGPT to write a 250-300 word blog post comparing Celiac Disease and Severe Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance. What it gave me seemed relevant and factual; however, having a lot of knowledge and personal experience with the topic, I knew that some of the information was outdated and not quite accurate.

After attempting to edit the post for more accurate information, I found that it was difficult to input my own tone. I ended up spending a lot more time trying to edit the post than I would have spent just researching and writing it myself. Having to fact-check the information wasn’t super difficult since I had previous knowledge, but if I didn’t have this knowledge, I would not have known what to look for or what was incorrect. This can be dangerous if people use ChatGPT at face value and do not properly analyze the information it provides.

In the future, I do not plan to use ChatGPT to write anything factual. I do not trust that it has all of the appropriate information. I trust my own research abilities to be more accurate and, actually, a faster way to get information. There is no way to know where the data is sourced from with ChatGPT or how current and accurate it is. While I think ChatGPT can be useful, it is not a tool I would rely on. It did not benefit me in this scenario and made me realize that it cannot be trusted fully. Doing the work myself is the only way to ensure the best quality and most accurate information.

Social media has become a huge part of our everyday lives, sometimes to the point of controlling us completely. It once was a tool to bring us together, but recently it has turned into a tool that divides us.

Social media, as we know it, is very centralized. This means the platform’s operations, rules, and policies are determined and enforced by a central authority, such as the company or its owner. There are a few big names of centralized social media platforms that we are all familiar with: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube top the list.

Twitter has been the center of attention recently due to its takeover by Elon Musk. The $44 billion purchase has caused a lot of controversy due to Musk’s views on free speech and censorship on social media. “Mr. Musk’s open approach to speech on Twitter could exacerbate long-simmering issues of toxic content and misinformation, affecting political debates around the world.” (NY Times)

Many argue that Musk’s takeover ruined the platform. Many people boycotted the platform because they did not agree with the changes he was making. “The world of big tech was turned upside down when Elon Musk bought Twitter. And while his takeover has been a wild ride, no CEO of a major social media platform has taken such drastic measures to pull back the curtain as Musk with his “Twitter Files.” (Fox News)

Setting aside the controversies surrounding the buyout and Musk’s changes, it’s important to recognize that Twitter is still a highly centralized social media platform. Ownership and decision-making power still primarily reside with the owner, and user input is limited. The recent events prompted by Musk have, in a way, triggered a social awakening. While many directed their criticism towards Musk, the resulting movement compelled individuals to reevaluate their perceptions and trust in social media platforms and shed light on the extent of control these companies have over our online activities.

It is important that we, as users of social media, are aware of the control these companies have over us. Having centralized social media provides a lot of benefits, many of which are why social media use has grown so much in popularity. However, it’s important to consider the potential downsides and limitations of centralization, including concerns about data privacy, censorship, and the concentration of power.

How do I feel about this?

Honestly, I don’t have a strong opinion on this matter. I do not believe that the government should have control or authority over social media. How people communicate and what they share should be their own decision. As users, we should be able to access the information we need to educate ourselves and make the choices that suit us best.

Regarding my personal use, I don’t feel a strong desire to be very active on social media. I do have a few accounts, but I only interact with people I know in real life. The concerns about privacy and controversies related to social media have actually made me less inclined to use it, and I haven’t been motivated to seek out new platforms like some others have. Going forward, I imagine the social media environment will continue to evolve and change based on what users want instead of the centralized control that we have so willingly used up until recently.