Some experts say that being in an online bubble or echo chamber, where social media users’ views are reinforced, isn’t the main problem with political extremism online. Illustration credit: The News Literacy Project.
While two-thirds of American adults say social media is bad for democracy, many still depend on it as a source of news even while questioning its role in deepening political divides. Platforms depend on growth and user engagement to make money, which can result in algorithms promoting extreme content that provokes strong reactions, experts say. “Racism is very profitable,” said former extremist Katie McHugh in an interview with PBS NewsHour. She compared extricating herself from online hate and extremism as “pulling shrapnel out of your brain.”
Discuss: Echo chambers — or online bubbles where social media users’ views are reinforced — are often believed to fuel political extremism, but one expert told PBS NewsHour his research showed the opposite. He found that exposing people to opposing views made them more polarized, not less. Why do you think that is? How do you feel when your beliefs are challenged? What steps can you take to approach different viewpoints with an open mind?
Most TikTok users expect to see false or misleading information on the platform, according to a new report from the Weber Shandwick Collective, a communications advisory firm. Many of the 367 American users surveyed in the report also felt confident in their ability to detect misinformation, including by scanning the comment section and using TikTok search to fact-check.
Idea: Use the "In your own words" slide in Week 2 of the Daily Do Now resource for students to further reflect on these survey results.
Another idea: Have students look through the key findings of this report. Do any of the thoughts and behaviors reported by these survey participants align with their own on TikTok or other social media? Ask students to pick one finding and write a reflection on how it compares with their own experience on this or other platforms. What steps can they take to verify information on social media?
Should social media apps include a warning label? Attorneys general from 42 states have demanded a U.S. surgeon general warning label to raise awareness of the harmful mental health effects of social media on young people. The bipartisan group expressed concern in a letter to Congress over “algorithm-driven social media platforms” threatening kids’ safety.
Idea: Have students gather in small groups to consider where they’ve seen warning labels — perhaps before a movie or TV show, while playing video games, on food products or on medicine. Are warning labels effective? Is social media more harmful or beneficial to kids? What kind of warning label would you design to convey the risks of young people using these platforms?
📣 RESOURCE ALERT: Share this week's rumor examples with students using these classroom-ready slides. We've expanded these slides to include a comprehensive walk-through on how to debunk false rumors — including a one-minute video to show students how to use a reverse image search.
NO: This photo was taken in Columbus, Ohio, not Springfield, and there's no evidence that the person pictured is a Haitian immigrant or that he killed or ate the goose.
NewsLit takeaway:
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and when social media users started spreading sensational rumors about Haitian immigrants stealing, killing and eating pets and wildlife in Springfield, Ohio, they offered little to support those assertions. Still, since these evidence-free rumors appeared to confirm some people’s preconceived misconceptions about immigrants, they were widely spread on social media and even received a mention on the presidential debate stage.
Removing a video or photograph — especially one of a graphic nature — from its original context and spreading it online attached to a hot-button political issue is a common form of political misinformation. Since this content often evokes a strong and immediate emotional response, social media users frequently engage with it before taking the time to fact-check. Resisting the urge to like, share or comment on these posts can be difficult, but pausing to consider the source, the evidence and the reasoning behind these claims is the only way to slow their spread.
NO: This is not a genuine video of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul talking about the new COVID-19 vaccine on Sept. 4.
YES: That video was altered to make it look like Hochul’s eye was swollen shut.
YES: The genuine video of Hochul — in which her eyes are not swollen — is posted on her official social media accounts.
YES: Severe adverse reactions following COVID vaccinations are very rare.
NewsLit takeaway:
Manipulating genuine videos and photographs is a common way to spread misinformation. While these altered pieces of media can be convincing at first glance, there are also several ways to investigate and verify their authenticity:
Check official social media accounts (especially when the video or photograph involves a public figure) to track down the full and unaltered content.
Do some lateral reading to see if credible news outlets have reported on the issue.
A whirlwind of conspiracy theories about the motive and authenticity of an apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump on Sept. 15 spread on Weibo, a popular and heavily censored social media app in China.
RT is more than just a Russian state-funded media outlet that spreads disinformation — U.S. officials now also accuse it of running Russian intelligence operations and raising funds for military supplies in the country’s war against Ukraine.
Ready for it? Taylor Swift warned her 284 million Instagram followers about the perils of AI-generated misinformation in her recent presidential endorsement.
Can AI chatbots be trusted? Two-thirds of American adults in a recent poll say they don’t trust AI chatbots for facts, but researchers are exploring ways that the technology might be used to pull people away from conspiracy theories.
Experts say that shaming or mocking a person who believes a conspiracy theory is ineffective at changing anybody’s mind. This USA Today article outlines three tips for how to talk to a believer without judgment.
Measles cases are resurging amid vaccine misinformation, with immunization rates among incoming kindergartners still below pre-pandemic levels, according to KFF, a health policy organization.
To reach a younger news audience on video platforms, a Hawaiian newspaper is using AI-generated avatars to present news reports written by its human reporters.
A free bilingual newspaper recently launched in a predominantly Latino area in Houston, Texas, with the goal of making residents feel more connected by telling “untold stories in the Hispanic community.”
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