Opinion: Social Media is Destroying Democracy???Here's How to Fix It

The evidence is now overwhelming: social media platforms, in their current form, are fundamentally incompatible with healthy democracy. The algorithmic amplification of outrage, the creation of filter bubbles, and the spread of disinformation are not bugs???they are features of a business model built on engagement at any cost.

The Problem

Research from MIT shows that false information spreads 6x faster than truth on social media. The Cambridge Analytica scandal, election interference campaigns, and the January 6th insurrection all demonstrate the real-world consequences of unchecked algorithmic manipulation.