> Whenever someone says they want to study anything relating to "misinformation", it's almost a guarantee they're looking to solve human problems with technical solutions.
What in your experience motivates you to say this?
Not the OP but I think it is because of a lack of trust in institutions, due to an escalating culture war and tribalism.
As an educated person interested in facts and science, there is a surprising lack of due diligence in the media around a lot of the current hot topic issues (not going to name them). Every time I do my own research on one of these issues, it is obvious the media and our institutions are more interested in supporting an official narrative than diving deep into the facts. Opposing opinions are just not 'allowed' anymore in some areas. I personally don't even trust people using the word 'misinformation' anymore, as it has been so abused
> lack of trust in institutions, due to an escalating culture war and tribalism
Precisely. Whenever someone talks about "disinformation" as being the cause of this, it would be insulting, if it weren't so detached from reality and Orwellian.
"Gosh, these dumb people are reverting to tribal behavior because they're getting lied to! The real problem is they can't think for themselves -- we just need to figure out how to tweak the algorithm so the disinformation doesn't spread, and they get fed the right truths. Then we'll have harmony again!"
People need to get off their computers, and stop trying to understand (and fix) society through Twitter.
What in your experience motivates you to say this?