Social media literacy
We know that as much as UGC can bolster support, social media can be a dangerous place for truth-telling and sharing. Users need a critical eye and skills that are built over lengthy internet exposure to effectively understand social media platforms.
Over half (54%) of adults in the U.S. have literacy skills below sixth-grade level. Considering that media literacy is not even taught in schools, we can assume that the social media literacy rate is at or below this stat.
Social media literacy empowers users to navigate social media responsibly and effectively. Without it, dangerous messages are spread, often by individuals in positions of trust or authority.
Recently, on the platform he owns, Elon Musk shared a deepfake video on X created by AI that was meant to be a parody campaign video using Harris’ voice to say disparaging things about herself and President Biden. Musk shared this video with no qualifiers and simply the caption, “This is amazing.” As of July 29, Musk’s X post has been shared more than 242,000 times, garnering over 130 million views.
It’s no shock that collectively, we are in a societal crisis of distrust. AI thought leader Nina Schick has been quoted as saying that 90% of online content could be AI-generated by 2025.
According to a Gallup poll, Americans’ confidence in institutions is at a historic low and has been for years. The deepfakes, sensationalism and false narratives shared online contribute to this, alongside political polarization and uncovered corruption across industries.
What the Harris campaign has been able to do is move quickly because, at the end of the day, speed is the name of the game when it comes to content relevancy. They galvanized a feeling of hope, engaged with Americans, acted with purpose and invigorated online conversations. As a society, we’ve been doomscrolling and trash-talking for so long that a positivity pipeline was welcomed with open arms—and maybe even an iota of trust.
