The second anniversary of the assault on the U.S. Capitol approaches with the new year, reminding us that it’s critical to help young people understand, contextualize and counter manipulative and harmful disinformation. And because online hate continues to function as a crisis-level threat to democracy, digital literacy and models to prevent and build resilience against extremism must be among contemporary solutions.
Being discerning about the information around us is important, especially during elections. As our access to information from a variety of media sources has increased, the benefits of wider exposure are being undermined by a media landscape filled with polarized messaging, manipulated content, disinformation and propaganda. Rhetoric and catchphrases – especially about complex and divisive issues – are abundant and often attempt to reduce complex concerns to simplified and biased explanations.
