We analysed eight years of Reddit posts from conspiracy theorists. Our findings have helped debunk some common myths about this somewhat alienated group of people.
Rush Limbaugh is said to have presented the world as a simple binary – as a struggle only between good and evil. That worked, as a philosopher explains, because many people live in echo chambers.
People know about Facebook’s problems, but assume they are largely immune – even while they imagine that everyone else is very susceptible to influence.
New research into the economics of attention online casts doubt on the net’s role in fostering public debate, and raises concerns about the future of democracy.
Today’s communications platforms and the algorithms that power them have led to a radical change in how public discourse is conducted and public opinion formed.
Gordon Hull, University of North Carolina – Charlotte
A scholar asks whether democracy itself is at risk in a world where social media is creating deeply polarized groups of individuals who tend to believe everything they hear.
We know negative news has an impact on our mental health, especially if we are constantly being exposed to it. Twitter is trying to help young people cope with the stress, which is a good start.
Concerns over filter bubbles and fake news are often based on anecdotal evidence. There is relatively little systematic research on the topic; a new survey finds widespread fears are unwarranted.
If people can be conned into jeopardizing our children’s lives, as they do when they opt out of immunizations, could they also be conned out of democracy?