Social Media & Political Discourse - Social media algorithms prioritize engagement over truth, rewarding outrageous posts and contributing to the spread of misinformation [5][6] - Echo chamber effect on social media reinforces existing beliefs, creating polarized realities and potentially provoking action based on misinformation [7][8] - Misinformation spread through social media can fuel real-world aggression and fragment society, posing a threat to democracy [10][11] Government Influence & Manipulation - Governments may utilize social media to control dissenting voices and manipulate narratives, even in seemingly democratic countries [11][12] - State-controlled media intertwining with social media platforms allows ruling parties to control public discourse and suppress opposition [12] - Governmental powers can manipulate social media to their advantage by providing only their own perspective, leading to polarizing opinions and misinformation [13][14] Counteracting Misinformation & Polarization - Media literacy programs, like those in Finland, are crucial for teaching critical analysis of news sources and identifying misinformation [17] - Individuals should verify information through lateral reading, checking multiple reputable sources to combat misinformation [18][19] - Combating misinformation and political polarization requires demanding accountability, prioritizing education, and fostering critical thinking [19] Examples of Social Media's Impact - The January 6th, 2021 attack on the US Capitol was fueled by false claims of election fraud and conspiracy theories propagated online [9][10] - The German far-right party AFD has gained support through social media marketing, using hashtags, bots, video content, and slogans to spread their ideology [15][16] - Following the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry used online ads to shape opinion about the war [13] - By 2026, Europol predicts that 90% of online content may be synthetically generated using artificial intelligence, increasing the potential for misinformation [6]

So in Pennsylvania, you had 205,000 more votes than you had voters. And it's the number is actually much greater than that now. That was as of a week ago.And this is a mathematical impossibility unless you want to say it's a total fraud. >> That was one of the many election lies Donald Trump of course repeated on January 6th. Now, he said that as he was speaking to supporters, many of whom then went on to violently attack the US capital where members of Congress were certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 el ...