10 things you might learn about the media (if you’re paying attention)
A brief list of insights from studying the media in 2021
- Your Netflix looks different than mine
You might already know that algorithms personalize the content you see online. Of course there’s the “recommended for you” section, but that misleads viewers to believe that everything else on the homepage is naturally occurring. Even the thumbnails are decided by what Netflix knows you’re interested in!
2. That influencer might be fake
Wannabe influencers are posting providing free advertising to brands for the sake of “street cred” and their reputation as an influencer. What does this mean? Social media users without direct connections to brands are posting as if they’ve been contracted to advertise. Some say this makes them more likely to land legitimate deals; others say it’s just to give the appearance of popularity.
3. It’s the thought that counts
The difference between misinformation and disinformation is all in the source’s intentions. By definition, misinformation comes from faulty information or misunderstanding. By contrast, disinformation is intentional. It’s meant to mislead or manipulate consumers. So next time you catch a lie online, take a moment to consider whether the error was intentional. It might tell you all you need to know about who produced it.
4. Censorship is part of your online experience whether you realize it or not
If you’re like me, censorship is something you heard about in high school in reference to countries like China and Russia. According to an analysis called “Feedom on the Net,” the U.S. doesn’t even fall into the top ten most ‘free’ countries when it comes to internet access.
5. Propaganda’s bad reputation makes it more effective
Like rhetoric, propaganda has accumulated derogatory connotations that make it harder for us to identify. The fact that it’s taught in the context of atrocities like the holocaust leads to the subconscious belief that this doesn’t happen in modern day America. This leaves us with blindspots when we encounter propaganda in advertising, entertainment, news, government, education, and so on.
6. “Bots” are everywhere
Most of us don’t think about bots nearly as much as we interact with them. They’re everywhere these days, and they’re not inherently good or bad — it just depends on what they’re used for. Bots that provide customer service online are incredibly common and can be quite helpful. Bots that pose as fake citizens and attempt to influence political discourse, however, have the potential for a lot of harm and really no good.
7. In a democratic nation, influence is as good as control
In a country where citizen input has real influence, the word of the people is powerful. That means if you can influence the people, you are even more powerful. This is why Russian interference in the 2016 election was able to be effective just by creating divisive content online. If you can convince people that they hate each other, soon enough, they will.
8. Claims of “fake news” are just a symptom of a post-truth world
Claiming that reporting is ‘fake’ is different from rightfully correcting faulty journalism. “Fake news” claims that there is more than one possible truth, and despite their evidence, they’re wrong. This is one of the indicators that we’ve moved into ‘post-truth’. A post-truth approach ignores informed judgments of experts and scientific institutions.
9. Algorithms determine more than just your social media content
Artificial intelligence is used for hiring, policing, loan determination, and other potentially life-changing decisions. This is the reason we’ve got to care about how it works, even though it’s behind the scenes for most of us. One of the biggest concerns is that artificial intelligence is particularly prone to bias because it learns from human behavior, therefore replicating and amplifying observed bias that we might not even be aware of.
10. You don’t have to be accurate to be persuasive
This is why logical fallacies can be effective even though they’re faulty. A video detailing the alt-right playbook explains that so long as arguments are repeated, engaging, and emotionally stirring, they capture the attention of people looking for answers. Keep this in mind when you encounter new information.
