"The information environment has changed in ways that place unprecedented strain on individual judgment. AI-generated content now moves at a scale and speed no human can comfortably keep up with. Synthetic images, audio, and video are increasingly realistic. Recommendation engines quietly shape what we see first, what we see repeatedly, and what we never see at all.Even people who are informed and motivated can feel overwhelmed."
"Even people who are informed and motivated can feel overwhelmed. Not because they lack critical thinking, but because the environment itself is engineered for constant engagement and reaction. Volume replaces deliberation. Speed crowds out reflection. This creates a subtle but important shift in responsibility. This is where the conversation needs to broaden. Individual literacy and critical thinking remain necessary. We should continue to teach people how to evaluate information and resist online manipulation."
"OPINION - For years, media literacy has been treated as the solution to misinformation. I've advocated that position as well.Teach people to question headlines. Encourage them to check sources. Help them recognize bias and emotional manipulation.All of that still matters. In fact, it matters more than ever. I often encourage people to think like intelligence analysts when they encounter information online. Pause. Ask who benefits. Look for what is missing. Compare across sources. Pay attention to emotion. Those skills are essential."
Media literacy and critical thinking remain essential: question headlines, check sources, recognize bias and emotional manipulation, and compare across sources. Thinking like an intelligence analyst—pausing, asking who benefits, looking for what's missing, and noting emotion—supports informed judgment. The information environment now places unprecedented strain on individual judgment as AI-generated content scales rapidly and synthetic images, audio, and video become realistic. Recommendation systems shape exposure, and platforms are engineered for constant engagement, which prioritizes volume and speed over deliberation. Fatigue leads people to disengage or rely on shortcuts, eroding trust and making individual resilience insufficient. Societal and systemic measures are needed in addition to individual education.
Read at The Cipher Brief
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]