Discourse misinformation – this is a distraction

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In the economy, the transition from the concentrated market with several dominant players to the high competitive market of small players is usually considered a good thing. But when these players are aimed at different consumer kits, they are alternative versions of reality, as we know it, it is not so clear that society benefits.

With all the attention given by misinformation, a narrow emphasis on objective lies distracts us from a much more fundamental shift. A new democratic risk is not so much that people believe in false things – they always have. The fact is that they no longer believe in the same things as each other, false or other.

If it sounds inflated, try a recent example. In January, after Elon Musk drew fresh attention to the scandal with British gangs through his social media X platform, Almost half of the UK voter reforms They said they had heard about the story in the last days, compared to only every 10th working or voters Lib Dem.

This is not so much the question whether certain information is true or false, because different people face the same information at all.

In the past, the media -organizations have been largely monitored by the same information order within the national borders. But in an increasingly endless and split information environment, old goalkeepers and norm Increasingly, bypassing.

This has led to permanent bifurcation Publishing platforms on the Internet, including social media, in open right and left rooms where there are no different programs. As a double citizen X and Bluesky, there are obvious differences in the topics I see on two platforms.

Here’s another one Weakness of discourse misinformation: that this is a clear problem on one “side”. Studies show that while the US conservatives average are more likely to believe false statements about climate change, liberal False statements about nuclear energy are more likely to believe. Other studies From the US, those who enrolled in college are not the best judges about the truth of the news than those who have only high school.

I do not emphasize this to criticize any specific group. Quite the opposite. I do this to emphasize that most people are on the left, right, more and less educated – just do not question every claim they face.

People are the efficiency that strive for labels at each opportunity. The truth is that the vast majority of us are never going to invest in time or evaluate all the information we consume. If it seems plausible and Comes from a source we do not actively trustThat’s good enough.

Combine this heuristics with an explosion Permanent information providersWhich usually works in the pockets of unprecedentedly fragmented media -leases, and you get interesting results.

At the time mixed To date, most research preceded the recent transition to Algorithms Recommendations in Real Time.

Analyzing the British election research data, I found that people who received their news from Tiktok most likely became supporters of UK reforms from 2021 to 2024 than those who did not do it, even after the age, gender and education level.

In particular, this sample is much stronger among men than women, according to the idea that different groups now inhabit fairly clear information and political environment on the Internet – even on one platforms.

Similarly in Germany, a strong presence of a cikt It is believed both AFD and Die Linke that some raised their support among young men and women accordingly contributing to A Starts gender gap Between the voting models of young Germans in the last month’s election.

The connection between this fragmentation and democratic dysfunction is manifested wherever you look. American Polarized media -ecosystem It corresponds to much broader political divisions than in countries with more cohesive media. Longitudinal research find Shared media are caused by polarized policy.

And, looking through age ranges, young people whose sources of information are most different from the previous generations and one (in terms of young men and young women), now reflect the widest ideological gap.

A Discourse misinformation Undoubtedly, the hum, but as a teenager picked up to the screen, it misses a broader context.

john.burn-murdoch@ft.com. @jburnmurdoch