Social Media is Blinding the Youth

 Introduction

    Humans have always been social creatures that rely on each other for many things. One of these things is the passing down of knowledge. Role models, influencers, and leaders, just to name a few, are some who guide and educate others in their community. These people are considered to be experts in the crafts or fields they teach, but being perceived as an expert and being an expert are two different things. These people managed to get into a position of power to educate without any formal education through their appearance. Once they receive the position, they will preach false information and blind their audiences. Today, with social media, anyone can create a platform and share their ideas. This may sound great, so many more opinions can be heard, and the most informational platforms will rise to the top over time. The reality though is the opposite, social media gave way to mass misinformation, and those with the loudest, most eloquent voices rose to the top more often than those with a real education on a subject.

Who Influences the Masses

    It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that the best candidate doesn't always win. Throughout human history, we have seen that those who rose to power were those who could manipulate the crowd. In The Republic, Plato shares how the captain of a ship was the loudest man, not the one who could best steer the ship 

"Imagine then a fleet or a ship in which there is a captain who is taller and stronger than any of the crew, but he is a little deaf and has a similar infirmity in sight, and his knowledge of navigation is not much better. The sailors are quarrelling with one another about the steering --every one is of opinion that he has a right to steer, though he has never learned the art of navigation and cannot tell who taught him or when he learned, and will further assert that it cannot be taught, and they are ready to cut in pieces any one who says the contrary... but that the true pilot must pay attention to the year and seasons and sky and stars and winds, and whatever else belongs to his art, if he intends to be really qualified for the command of a ship, and that he must and will be the steerer, whether other people like or not-the possibility of this union of authority with the steerer's art has never seriously entered into their thoughts or been made part of their calling. Now in vessels which are in a state of mutiny and by sailors who are mutineers, how will the true pilot be regarded? Will he not be called by them a prater, a star-gazer, a good-for-nothing?" (Plato)

   The Captain was the most dominant man, he was not the best at steering the ship. Those who are under the captain wholeheartedly believe him and will attack anyone who disagrees. So, where is the one who is truly qualified to steer the ship? He is too occupied "with the year and seasons and sky and stars and winds". The Captain's skill is in persuasion, he has mastered rhetoric and the ability to gain his position as leader. We see this same aspect on social media, people constantly throw out random statistics and hardly cite sources. If you go as far as to question them, a community of drones will attack you just like they would the stargazer in Plato's analogy. This means that we should not simply trust someone because they have a following. For those considering the younger generation, it means understanding that they will be taught and raised through the internet by the most confident and dominant individuals if left alone, not the wisest.

How do People Come to Power 

    The main factor that allows these people to come to power, is confidence. Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simmons call this the "Illusion of confidence" in their book The Invisible Gorilla. They say that there are two parts to this, "one is overestimating one's self, and the other is misinterpreting confidence as a measure of ability" (Chabris and Simmons). When someone questions themselves and backtracks we tend to think it is because they lack knowledge in the subject. On the other hand, when someone responds with haste and boldness, it is thought to be because they are well-versed on the subject. The truth of the matter is that this is usually the opposite. When starting out in anything confidence stems from the inability to see one's shortcomings. This can be scary when paired with all of the short educational reels we find all over the internet every day where people speak so loudly and proudly. If someone truly knew the subject, would they not share contradicting facts and views as well? Would they not slow down to consider that they may be wrong with their vast knowledge? Depending on the subject they probably would, but because confidence is viewed as a signal of ability it would lead to them getting fewer views. 

    

    It is important that the children are taught to be skeptical because the amount of faulty content available at their fingertips will only increase. They will form beliefs centered around their most liked creators and mimic their confidence. Some may not see a problem in this, but confidence is dangerous. When one believes they are good at something too soon they limit their potential to learn. Only those who question themselves and see their own shortcomings will be able to become true experts.

Conclusion

People reach positions of power and influence often by dominance and confidence. This lack of qualifications leads to them sharing faulty knowledge that will manipulate the unskeptical mind. It is crucial that kids become more aware of the "Illusion of confidence" and question the content they consume on social media. If not, we will have an entire society of drones all believing the loudest voices, not forming opinions for themselves, or questioning information from their favorite influencers. Parents will be second to the child's online role models, and unguarded opinions will be shared as if they were facts. 

    Do you see social media influencers who share information as if facts without citing any source or backing up their views?