Mind and democracy | In the age of social media

Since the release of Facebook in 2004, social media has rapidly become part and parcel of billions of citizens’ lives. In less than two decades, the emergence of social media has fundamentally changed the way information flows in society and how we are connected to each other. The positive consequences in terms of information access and connectedness are many and important. Yet, at the same time, social media create novel political and psychological challenges to democracies and their citizens. Today, we are no longer dependent on news editors for the creation and dissemination of news and each of us can generate and spread information that we find newsworthy. The emergence of “fake news” has been one consequence, raising important questions about the robustness of fundamental democratic institutions in the age social media. Today, we are also continuously and permanently connected via online platforms to our friends and family. One negative consequence is addictive behavior and fears of “missing out”, raising important questions about the psychological impact of intensive social media use.

This conference brings together leading international and national researchers to discuss and deliberate on the novel challenges that democratic societies and their citizens are facing in the age of social media. The aim of the conference is to take stock of the current knowledge: What do we know about the democratic and psychological consequences of this transformation – and what are the next big research questions to address?