The Echo Chamber

2016 was notable for two election results; one in the US and on, which was a referendum, in the UK.

What experience of both shows, that we all live in a social media bubble. We follow people with similar views, and so don't get a feel of the feeling across the nation. Also it became clear that having facts and evidence of your case, that Brexit was economic suicide and that Trump was clearly incompetent as President, and so sure we were of both, we let the other side lead the arguments and failed to challenge the lies as strongly as we should. That some of the lies were so outrageous, that Trump's words and actions so unsuitable, we thought that we, the left, had won the argument. I mean who would argue with fact and evidence from either experts or from video or audio tape.

And yet, it made no difference. Britain narrowly voted to leave the EU based on a whole pack of lies from the Brexiteers, and won by being allowed to get away with lying. Even when challenged, they claimed black was white and that was it. Trump lied, belittled, was racist, sexist, mocked both disabled and mourning parents of a soldier. All clearly beyond inappropriate behaviour, and yet he still won the election. Or won enough states despite losing the popular vote, which may be thanks to hacking by Russia.

And all the while the print media back the lies coming out of the Trump camp and the Brexiteers, even making up fake news of their own. Social media was awash with fake news too, most of it so clearly fake, but shared by people on Facebook, and simply reporting on facts was seen as being part of a Liberal coup to stop Trump. I had to correct several people about Turkey joining the EU, in that Britain had and still has, an absolute veto on this happening. And yet the lies that Turkey joining was falsely reported as being an aim of the EU and could not be stopped.

There is so much false news out there now, and it having being reported that such stories helped the Trump camp, it was only after the election that Facebook said it would begin to deal with the issue.

But, Twitter and Facebook still acts as an echo chamber, mostly reflecting our own views in that we are more likely to follow and be friends with people who share our political leanings. On the day of the referendum, I went to bed still thinking Remain had done more than enough, that the lies had been proven. And yet, we know that it changed nothing.

In a world now where large tranches of the medi no longer hold our elected official to account, if those officials do as the papers want. Social media can fill that void of reporting truth and holding the government to account. But only if we can be sure of the people we follow, otherwise we help make the echo chamber even more confused with retweeting false news. It is a mess, and as a result, we have Brexit and we have President Trump. These days, the plunging pound is good news, at least for high end shops in London, although we will all notice it come next year when we want to go on holiday and our money goes 20% less far.

The red tops now mock people who use Twitter as extremists, and maybe they are right, but with even the BBC apparently giving up on journalism, and taking their lead stories now from what Fleet Street says, what hope is there? I suppose if the predictions of financial disaster that would come with Brexit are proved right, then maybe people will see, but by then it will be too late, and the country will just have to make the best of it. Or, as I said yesterday, those with the opposite point of view will be blamed for not making Brexit work. And then who would point out the lies in that?

I suppose, be careful of what you believe, and from whatever source, but if we can't trust the press, or the BBC, what chance does the average person have?