In recent discussions surrounding the impact of Donald Trump’s presidency, many experts express concern regarding the status of objective knowledge. His second term in office has sparked renewed allegations that we are in fact living in a world-historical age of stupidity. This is an age of dangerous misinformation and the adversarial abandonment of any fact-based conversation. This powerful analysis gets a booster shot when we realize that large tech companies are the primary drivers of this crisis. Their inaction is pushing the crisis to record levels.
Political economist William Davies, amongst others, has reflected upon the impact of Trump’s presidency on public discourse. In his books, he explains and describes how Trump’s incendiary words have created doubt about the dependability, the usefulness and even the virtue of information itself. According to Davies, the environment fostered during and after Trump’s administration has led to a crisis in understanding what constitutes objective knowledge.
Dan Starkey has engaged deeply with Davies’ writings, reflecting on the broader societal implications raised by the political landscape. Starkey rebutted Davies’ arguments and made the case that politics and technology have collided in a way that fundamentally determines our culture. In this climate, subjective beliefs trump empirical facts. This national phenomenon reveals a major disconnect between what the public thinks versus reality.
The influence of large technology firms in this changing storyline shouldn’t be underestimated either. Proponents of reform point to the role of social media platforms and algorithms as major factors in the deterioration of informed discourse. These companies are more concerned about engagement than they are with substance. In doing so, they proliferated the false claims more quickly, further exacerbating an environment already rich in confusion and distrust.
As the media debates rage on, the idea that we are witnessing a blessedly new era of stupidity should cause us to think deeply. Countless people are wondering what this fundamental change in knowledge dynamics portends for our political culture and norms. Stakeholders from various sectors are beginning to confront the challenges posed by this new reality, seeking solutions to restore trust in information and promote informed dialogue.