Social media: An illusion of omniscience

23 Feb Social media: An illusion of omniscience

If you are a social media user, you may voluntarily or purposely have become a member of several groups, choosing a community based on your interests, political affiliations, style of humour, or hate. You may have also been awarded a badge for attaching to your profile, declaring to your tribe that you have earned a certain status. However, the award will not necessarily be applied because you are a wise and worthy contributor or a righteous individual; your symbol will merely be gifted by the amount of engagement or traffic you have generated to the site, therefore increasing advertising revenue for the social media giant, the real winner. 

If joining a group is not for you, merely applying a hashtag to your babble or blether can identify what or who you are advocating for, thus highlighting your membership to the tribe. Thousands over social media have shared experiences and knowledge, connected to others, created businesses, and supported charities, all of which are unquestionably marvellous. However, what happens when the group sells a destructive narrative based on dangerous disinformation? For example, a recent report claimed that the Antivax industry is estimated to have been worth approximately $1bn to social media companies. Whether you are pro or anti-vax is another debate; nevertheless, the fact that there is a profit motive behind the spread of a singular narrative should be loudly sounding the alarm bells for us all. 

There are multiple examples of discussion forums and online groups that demonstrate the undeniable links between online hate translating into actual life harm. For example, Dylann Roof was described as self-radicalised online before he murdered nine people in South Carolina at a black church. Officials confirmed that Roof owned a website that promoted white supremacy and neo-Nazism. Similarly, on the 15th of March 2018, Christchurch experienced two mass shootings in mosques that left 51 people dead and dozens more injured. Following the attack, the infamous user-generated message/image board 8chan displayed multiple posts of glorification and support for the terrorist act. The promotion of hateful themes, including vile racist, antisemitic and conspiracy theory content was widespread across 8chan until it went offline in 2019; however, the users did not just disappear, finding new ways and places to congregate in groups online; internet platforms have become an easy tool to distribute the message without concern or consequence; polarising is popular and profitable. 

The question remains not whether large swathes of people are being groomed, influenced or radicalised online but why? There is no doubt that the sense of community draws many; however, for those with vulnerabilities, online groups can contain powerful draw triggers with one undisputed narrative and group echo chambers helping to enforce an illusion of omniscience.

 The dissemination of ideas and ideologies over the superstructure of social media is changing attitudes and outcomes for us all and, in many cases, not for good. Therefore, without enforcing and destroying our freedom of speech, which would have other egregious results, many ask how we put the monster back in the cage. For governments, winning this war means legislation remains the chosen weaponry against online harm; however, the necessity to protect the right to offend and be offended implies that education is the natural defence against group indoctrination. 

Teaching awareness and critical thinking and creating open dialogue must be the way to shatter the illusions that are, too many times, being reinforced by online groups.