So today I'm going to talk about one of the pressing issues of our time. Is it true that our government leaders are actually lizard aliens sent here in human form? And even more importantly, are they the ones responsible for stealing all the car bumpers in Yeravan [laughter] and sending them back to their home planet? I mean, how can you explain this many car bumpers? There's no rational explanation for it. It can't be because of bad driving because I don't know anybody here who has ever passed their drivin ...

[Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Well, um, I have some questions for you or perhaps a single question. When was the last time you read something on the internet and you instantly believed it without questioning its ideological inclination, without questioning its propaganda, so on and so forth. Do you remember that.Well, I don't think so because because you're not the problem here. Well, let's start with some uncomfortable truths that we all have to address. Number one, India ranks 1 ...

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]

Media Landscape & Challenges - India ranks 151st out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, highlighting concerns about press freedom despite being the largest democracy [3] - India has the highest number of internet shutdowns globally as of 2022, contrasting with its status as the second-largest internet user base [3] - Traditional TV news is considered the least trusted source of news, while YouTube consumption has grown by 70% in the last 3 years [8] - WhatsApp is an unofficial news broadcaster with over 487 million users [8] - Independent journalism struggles due to the difficulty in getting people to pay for news, even for small amounts like 99 rupees (approximately $120) a month [9] The Speaker's Media Entrepreneurship Journey - The speaker started a digital media portal in 2019, focusing on truth rather than virality [11] - The speaker's media platform has reached 42 billion views in the last year [27] The Importance of Media Literacy & Journalism - Media literacy is a crucial survival skill in today's information age [17] - Influencers are not journalists; speed is not the primary focus of journalism, rigor, accountability, and ethics are [17][18] - Journalism is a public service that should be respected [20] - The erosion of news and media requires audience accountability [22] - The audience should be informed and educated, questioning the information they receive and verifying its source before sharing [23][24]

[Applause] So, sometime back in 2012, the first installment of the iconic book to movie series, The Hunger Games, was released in theaters. For those of you who are unfamiliar, The Hunger Games is a dystopian fiction in which the government called the capital enacts life or death challenges to enforce well to keep its command over the cap over the districts and controls. You would think with the disturbing topics this franchise tackles that the majority of the fan base would be focused on the literary or ci ...