When it comes to digital spreaders of misinformation, social media platforms typically get the brunt of the blame. After all, they’re the places with the black-box algorithms, the propagandist bots, and the partisan screamers. On social media, we can watch the bad information spread, right as it happens. Social media is, at least metaphorically, a passive experience — a place where the news finds you.
But what’s the most enraging thing your uncle can say at Thanksgiving, right after he tells you about how the Rothschilds are behind an army of Colombians set to invade Idaho next week? “I’ve done my own research on this.” In other words:
I’m not just some guy who believes everything in his News Feed. No, I put in the work, double-checking everything Ezr4P0und2024 says about the Protocols. I’m telling you, he’s onto something — it all fits.
