The problem: we can no longer plan the future even when solutions exist
A functional model got broken
A few years ago, there was a consensus about the principles governing political life in most places, with radically different such models, of course, prevalent in the Eastern bloc, the West or the Third World.
Now, information and opinions are shared instantly via online communication tools that have shattered that model. This has partly pushed out traditional media—who have reacted to this by establishing an online presence. They have been joined by a lot of new operators—often with links to lobbies and vested interests.
Superficially this trend enhances democracy
It’s true that in some ways, this trend enhances democracy by giving citizens access to a broader choice of opinions. Yet in practice, the quality and effectiveness of democracy haven’t improved.
People, however, increasingly ignore facts
There is evidence that citizens are incited in practice, in the current world, to ignore facts when making political choices in ways that have no precedent in the Western world.
There’s a growing rift between elites and ordinary citizens
The problem has been compounded by perception of a rift between elites and the rest of the population. And the rise of meritocracy actually fuels this frustration when peoples’ aspirations are not fulfilled.
New online media are not the solution
The readers of new online media also actively engage in politics on social media: according to the Pew Research Center, 66% of social media users have employed the platforms to post their thoughts about civic and political issues, react to others’ postings, press friends to act on issues and vote, follow candidates, ‘like’ and link to others’ content, and belong to groups formed on social networking sites.
People are now unable to look at the long term
This new system has made largely uncensored information immediately available, but that has come at a huge cost: by accelerating decision-making, it has lessened citizens’ ability to consider issues and their merits in a longer-term perspective. BBC journalist Richard Fisher argued recently that our inability to look beyond the latest news cycle could be one of the most dangerous traits of our generation
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Trust has been lessened
Despite using them for a wide range of reasons, just 3% of social media users indicate that they have a lot of trust in the information they find on these sites. And relatively few have confidence in these platforms to keep their personal information safe from bad actors.
This mistrust has actually made it demonstrably harder to solve problems.
Confidence in the ability of scientists to act in the public interest is actually growing
The growing hold of unverifiable information on the Internet has actually increased our belief need for involving experts in public policy. According to the Pew Research Group, public confidence in scientists to act in the public interest tilts positive and has increased over the past few years. As of 2019, 35% of Americans report a great deal of confidence in scientists to act in the public interest, up from 21% in 2016.
Confidence in democracy is shaken in several key nations
According to the Pew Research Center, between 2018 and 2019, publics grew increasingly dissatisfied with democracy in five out of twenty-seven countries surveyed in both years, while dissatisfaction dropped in nine.
