28.012 - The Promise and Peril of Social Media in a Post-Truth Era

Session Type: Invited Speaker Session

Abstract

In many ways, social media can be seen as imperiling democratic life. For example, one scholar described Twitter as a medium that rewards simplicity, impulsivity, and incivility (Ott, 2017). Our nation’s leader frequently exemplifies the post-truth era, through tweets and statements that are disconnected from facts and by criticizing the “fake news” media. Scholars are not often rewarded for engaging in public scholarship, including the use of tools like Twitter. There are many cases of academics, especially scholars of color, being harassed online, and even sometimes “doxxed,” or put in danger by having personal information like their addresses released. Social media often serves as an echo chamber, reinforcing homophily in the viewpoints of different groups and leading to polarization. However, for all the times that Twitter and other social media outlets contribute to a more polarized society, these tools can also serve as a powerful way to connect those from divergent backgrounds and perspectives. Social media connects policy and news organizations with researchers and the public, and its potential as a tool for connection serves as an important counterpoint to its negative effects.
In this panel, we offer an interactive exploration of these issues by featuring panelists who have experienced both the promise and peril of social media—democratic engagement and/or the suppression of democratic ideals—to examine the affordances and constraints of social media. We also include a panelist who uses social media to connect graduate students with information about the hidden curriculum of academia. Finally, this session is organized to be both interactive and an educative opportunity for participants. A table will be set up near the entrance to the room for “Twitter newbies” with volunteers helping session attendees set up Twitter accounts for live-tweeting during the session. For participants who enter late or do not wish to create a Twitter account, we will ask those in the audience who are actively tweeting to raise their hands and partner with someone not tweeting so that everyone in the audience will know how to use this medium by the end of the session.

Sub Unit

• AERA Presidential Session

Chair

• Emily Hodge, Montclair State University

Participants

• Jonathan A. Supovitz, University of Pennsylvania

• Sonya Douglass Horsford, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Vivian Tseng, William T. Grant Foundation

• Leigh A. Hall, University of Wyoming