Useful Idiots:
Where Is The Outrage Against Foreign Propaganda In American Social Media?
Our adversaries are seeking to leverage high emotions to spread disinformation to once again divide us and hijack our democratic processes. The responsibility to heal divisions and stop the spread of false information that rots the core of a free society rests not only on the government, but on every one of us. The photos, articles, and social media rants we share are validating disinformation from foreign actors. Social media costs no money for most users who trade some privacy for global connections. Those connections we make create organic networks that can be used as propaganda tools by foreign governments. When we do not fact check a post before we share it we allow our personal social media pages to become unwitting vectors for false and potentially harmful information, and we become the useful idiots of foreign espionage agencies.
We operate our vehicles cognizant of the rules of the road. Why do we not have the same internal checklist as we navigate cyberspace through our phones, tablets, and home computers? There are few incentives for social media companies to put extensive measures in place to completely stop the spread of malign content. In fact, these corporations benefit from the cancerous, bloated numbers they get from bots and humans spreading inflammatory ideas. While companies might intervene in serious instances of speech inciting violence or realistic threats, they benefit handsomely from the petabytes of disinformation we consume. The other benefactor of this environment? Foreign governments and malign actors.
With less than four months until our next presidential election, Americans are over-influenced, over-stimulated, and frankly worn out. But where is the outrage or the public mobilization against foreign interference in our elections? Protecting our elections has seemingly taken a back seat to other points of contention. Willful ignorance, created by staying in our social media echo chambers, has created a general apathy towards finding common cause with each other. It has left us divided, frustrated, and extremely vulnerable to foreign interference.
The perfect storm of a global pandemic and a looming economic collapse met the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police officers and collided in an explosion of nationwide protests and civil unrest. Even as we unite in the face of social injustice and systemic racism, we allow false information to spread like wildfire on the same platforms we use to fight injustice. If we are to protect each other and preserve our democratic processes, we must do so on more than one issue. By design, disinformation can rapidly expand the existing divides throughout our society. From issues of inequality under the law and other forms of oppression to meme-driven dirty politics, one thing is certain: disinformation knows no bounds and it does not discriminate. We must use information as a tool for good, to tell the truth about ourselves, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This is our moment to fight just as the Continental Army, the Union Army, Martin Luther King, Jr., and every decent citizen that has fought for a more perfect union.
So, what can we do? How should we adjust our thinking and frame our thoughts so as to recognize the work of foreign actors?
- Recognize the bad information problem. Everyone is being targeted, not just seniors, minorities, or veterans. We cannot continue to do the work of our adversaries.
- Learn media literacy and teach it to our children as they start using media channels. This includes evaluating sources, reading past the headline, and analyzing the facts.
- Think critically. We already fact check our friends when they make outlandish claims over drinks and late-night Taco Bell. Have pride in your critical thinking skills and apply this same judgement to claims made by social media and news sources.
- Lastly, VOTE! Your vote is perhaps the quietest way you can make your voice be heard but undoubtedly the most important. Voting is laying down your brick in the house of democracy we are building together. You can participate in building this society by voting in the representatives you think are most fit to oversee the construction.
Instead of being impassive bystanders, let us become watchmen that protect the forums of free speech and our democracy. Thinking critically about information, choosing to thoughtfully engage those who propagate bad information, and teaching smart guidelines for our children — the digital natives — will be a key part of making sure the flame of our democracy doesn’t die out in this generation.
