We build our institutions and democratic society based on two assumptions:
- First, that information should flow freely between citizens.
- Second, citizens deserve and value good information, meaning content that is factual, timely, relevant, contextual, and truthful.
However, the emergence of broadband internet, smartphones, and social media has fundamentally challenged these assumptions. Maybe they were naive in the first place. Today, the gradual commodification of our attention has transformed the role of information in society into a new type of digital product that we exchange for entertainment, services, profit, or power.
The informative merits of those new digital products, the accuracy or truthfulness of their content, became secondary.
- A viral “get rich” cat meme is more lucrative than an educational essay about poverty alleviation.
- A misleading video clip smearing a political opponent is more persuasive than an analysis of a policy plan.
- A false myth feels more emotionally satisfying than a dry scientific study.