Topic: How bad is misinformation, fake news, trolling, and conspiracy theories to the health of our democracy?
Notes:
The internet was supposed to be about sharing and spreading truthful information
With more connected users, in a decentralized manner, anybody can share their voice
More voices tend to be destructive rather than constructive to online discourse
Social media and technology has made it easier to spread falsehoods
Deepfakes and AI threaten to blur the line of what is true
Trolling farms have become an industry with the sole purpose to spread fear and division
Fake news is easier to generate, and has more believers, than authoritative news outlets
What has been learned so far: Doing initial research on this topic has resulted in information that shows what the intended purpose of the internet was supposed to be. When academics and computer scientists made primitive mesh networks where universities could communicate with one another, the expectation was that everyone in the world could have access to truthful and beneficial information. After nearly 50 years, the opposite has become the reality. Misinformation, fakes news, conspiracy theories, and trolling have infected online communities where information is freely shared. This has led to a breakdown in trust by regular people since it is becoming harder to distinguish truth from falsehood. If more people knew about what is happening, and why it is happening, perhaps something can be done about it so that truth matters once again.
Questions
I like one of these two–I think they allow for the most exploration:
Should internet companies regulate speech? And if so, through which methods?
Or. your initial question of: How are misinformation, fake news, trolling, and conspiracy theories affecting the health of our democracy?