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Functioning democracy seems pretty important, and a healthy shared reality and news is a key component of that. Social media, as currently implemented, directl
by ethbr1 1mo ago
Functioning democracy seems pretty important, and a healthy shared reality and news is a key component of that.
Social media, as currently implemented, directly harms that.
- saghm 1mo agoI have basically the same reaction to this framing: if I had to list the five largest threats to our functioning democracy in the US right now, social media use by teenagers would not make the list.
- ethbr1 1mo agoWhat are your five largest threats to functioning democracy in the US right now? Because I question any list that doesn't include a substantial chunk of voters being ignorant on concerns of critical importance to the country. And if that's a problem now, as a result of a couple decades of low-brow, high-emotion 80s and 90s conservative talk radio and tv, then what do you think better-engineered algorithmic slop is doing to the next voting cohort's brains? Democracies succeed or fail on the average voter's ability to somewhat understand matters.