I get what you are trying to say, although I think you hit on what the actual problem is. I don't think the issue is that there is unauthorized propaganda vs. a

I get what you are trying to say, although I think you hit on what the actual problem is. I don't think the issue is that there is unauthorized propaganda vs. authorized propaganda. I think the issue is just that there is more propaganda out there. Yes, it's "all just additional information", but it's too much information. I think people in general struggle to objectively weigh the information they are presented with, but they struggle so much worse when they don't have the time or ability to sift through the amount of propaganda being thrown at them. When social media was first finding its roots, many people, myself included, were excited for the prospect of the empowerment and new voice being given to the masses. But not all voices are created equal. Its the equivalent of going from an auditorium of people watching a panel debate a topic to literally everyone in the auditorium trying to debate by shouting over each other. No one has time to consider, let alone fact check, all of the information being presented to them. Its practically gotten to the point where people pick their own reality, with different sets of "alternative facts". Don't like what someone is saying? No problem, there is a never-ending supply of voices out there backing up whatever opinion you want to believe. Additionally, perhaps the entities most empowered to push their agenda have been the already empowered. 99% of the public does not have the resources or the expertise to collect and analyse data being generated by social media. The people who do are government agencies, political campaigns, and corporations. They have more information on you, how you live, and how you think than at any other time in history. And they can influence public opinion with that information, along with new vehicles of propaganda like botnets, in a way that no regular person can. So even if social media was originally supposed to bring people together and give a voice to the masses, the reality is that it has resulted in a more divided, disenfranchised populace than before, in my opinion.