S5E8 - Disinformation: Who Can I Trust Online?

Jump to your podcast app…

From disinformation to polarization, we hardly know what to believe anymore. And knowing who to believe isn't any easier. Chris and Adam talk thru the marks of conspiracy theories, and how moderation of social platforms may need to get more personal, not less.

And how does our Christian faith impact this all? Doubting Thomas and how Paul talks about mystery cults—all packed in to this one.

Links & Stuff We Talk About

Why Speech Platforms Can Never Escape Politics

While we didn’t agree with everything here, this long editorial from Jon Askonas & Ari Schulman raises a lot of issues, says the diagnosis by both the “right” and “left” is missing the mark, and provides the suggestions for online platforms that Adam & Chris talk through.

The Left argues that tech companies must limit misinformation and hate speech on their online platforms. 

The Right argues for free speech, and that the platforms do not wield their censorship power fairly. 

This essay argues that each view bears an important partial truth, but that the approaches they advocate do not hold much of a chance of preserving truly free speech and open debate on the Internet over the long term.

Conspiracy Theory Handbook (PDF)

Selection from “The Rock” TS Eliot

Knowledge of speech, but not of silence;

Knowledge of words, and ignorance of the Word.

All our knowledge brings us nearer to death,

But nearness to death no nearer to God.

Where is the Life we have lost in living?

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

Bonus Resource

Navigating Digital Information: Crash Course

We didn’t talk about this in the episode, but this series of training vids is actually better than we expected.

TALK BACK

Follow Device & Virtue on Instagram and Twitter.

Follow Chris and Adam on Twitter.

Support Device & Virtue. Learn more.