Saving Digital Citizenship From the Epistemic Divide

Abstract

Social media has eased the burden of people exercising their citizenship, such as engaging in public discourse or even mobilizing themselves for political causes. This technology was once expected to make society more democratic. However, its massive utilization in political contestation has led to the massive spread of disinformation, which further causes political polarization. The internet gives people the opportunity to cross-check information, and social media enables them to find clarification and reduce misunderstanding. However, the will to power is stronger than the will to truth, causing massive informational manipulation to attract followers and informational attack to denigrate opponents. Just as the running of democracy needs appropriate institutions, healthy citizenship also requires well-designed media that can improve deliberation and ease assessing and countering disinformation. A virtual version of citizen assembly is needed to lure people to more fruitful digital citizenship and distance them from unbridgeable polarization.