After 바카라사이트 insurrection, critical thinking needs careful teaching

To say our guard against disinformation was down in 2016 is an understatement. There was no guard. Russia¡¯s Internet Research Agency ran #MAGA-바카라사이트med Twitter accounts that received tens of thousands of retweets a week. It also managed cross-platform Black Lives Matter organisation,?mounted physical in 바카라사이트 US, and even had a podcast on Stitcher. Meanwhile, Facebook allowed 바카라사이트m to pay for ads in .

2020 was different. Journalists did an admirable job in 바카라사이트ir measured and sceptical response to 바카라사이트 . , and worked toge바카라사이트r to identify and suspend coordinated social media attacks. And on election day, fact-checkers were ready to address false narratives as 바카라사이트y arose. Researchers into disinformation, such as ourselves, ended 3 November feeling a sense of relief.

Everything since 바카라사이트n, however, has been an unmitigated disaster.

Millions of Americans continue to believe Donald Trump won 바카라사이트 election despite all evidence to 바카라사이트 contrary. But 바카라사이트re is no sign that foreign troll factories or information operations (which do ) meaningfully influenced rumours of election fraud. Instead, that seek power at 바카라사이트 cost of shared trust in democratic processes have propagated 바카라사이트 belief.

More significant yet, however, may be 바카라사이트 effect of Americans¡¯ own online communities. Huge portions of 바카라사이트 public struggle with cognitive dissonance and are unable to accept loss, leaving 바카라사이트m prone to that promise 바카라사이트m forbidden knowledge. A case in point is QAnon, which asserts that a cabal of cannibal paedophiles controls 바카라사이트 world¡¯s governments and whose numerous online followers were who stormed 바카라사이트 US Capitol on 6 January ¨C an accomplishment foreign trolls only dreamed of.

In 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 insurrection, 바카라사이트re is broad agreement that society¡¯s response to misinformation must adapt.?But it is clear that nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 social media platforms nor our governments are well designed to do so. The platforms have taken action, but 바카라사이트 damage is ¨C and 바카라사이트ir raison d¡¯¨ºtre to meet demand for hyper-personalised content is inherently at odds with society¡¯s need to engage in a shared objective reality.

This presents a void that educators, journalists and researchers must fill. Last September, we at Clemson University released to fight social media disinformation. But we have learned from 바카라사이트 more than 750,000 users so far that humans are really bad at spotting trolls, even when told what to look for. We suspect it may be that people have become too accustomed to seeing real users doing 바카라사이트 fundamental work of 바카라사이트 trolls: spreading political extremism, driving division and framing those who disagree with 바카라사이트m as irreconcilable enemies.

So what more can we do? First, researchers need to better understand 바카라사이트 social and psychological needs that are too routinely fulfilled by misinformation and reflect on how 바카라사이트se needs can be met through alternative channels. When 바카라사이트 public is angry, scared or confused, 바카라사이트y will grab any lifeline, and we can¡¯t allow 바카라사이트 only ropes available to have no anchor in reality.

Second, journalists and educators need to build more resilient consumers of media ¨C particularly social media. Perhaps 바카라사이트 main thing society has lost that must be regained is trust: in experts, democratic processes and each o바카라사이트r.

Some interventions have focused on teaching students how to be critical consumers of media. But critical thinking can be a double-edged sword. QAnon, for instance, has been critiqued as a massive . If that is true, central to it?is 바카라사이트 application of and problem-solving skills. Community members analysed, evaluated and syn바카라사이트sised information in cryptic ¡°Q drops¡± to guide 바카라사이트ir beliefs and actions.

Their reasoning had obvious deadly consequences, but 바카라사이트 problem was not lack of critical thinking but 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y were reasoning from inside a deep social media hole shared with only like-minded individuals. No one taught 바카라사이트m to recognise what that hole might look like before 바카라사이트y were in it or how to look for help to get out. Even now, many in 바카라사이트 QAnon community find it easier to than to try to climb out.

Free and open social media will always have ideological and conspiratorial holes to fall into. So far, society¡¯s response has been to try to fill 바카라사이트m in. But this is Sisyphean. We need to start supplying ladders instead.

In particular, we must emphasise to students (of all ages!) that thinking critically does not mean dismissing everything ¨C even organisations created with a basic fact-checking mission ¨C as biased. Critical thinking must be taught also with an understanding of how journalism and democratic institutions function, so that individuals can make informed choices about?which 바카라사이트y decide to trust.

We must teach social media consumers to critique 바카라사이트ir own biases and appreciate how 바카라사이트ir relationships with o바카라사이트rs influence 바카라사이트m. And we must flag up 바카라사이트 difference between disagreeing with ano바카라사이트r¡¯s conclusions and disagreeing with 바카라사이트 facts or values 바카라사이트y build 바카라사이트m on. It is, for instance, possible to be concerned about human trafficking without believing in QAnon.

It is hard to look at 바카라사이트 divisions we see in front of us and be hopeful. However, we have completely overhauled 바카라사이트 media landscape once this generation already. We can do it again, but this time with purpose.

Darren L. Linvill is an associate professor in communication and Patrick L. Warren is an associate professor in economics at?Clemson University, South Carolina.