It’s been more than a decade since social media platforms have transformed our lives in unimagined ways. During that time, social media has become intertwined and synonymous with all media—a dominant force for information flow and a major channel for social interaction, political communication, and commercial marketing.
This rise has fundamentally changed the world’s information landscape from a comparatively small number of producers (such as news networks) to a world where everyone is accessible, everyone is a content receiver, and everyone is a producer. It’s also an environment where content can be influential, regardless of its source. But along with the massive volume of information and access comes growing concern about how to tame it.
While the “democratization” of content can be celebrated for its reach and global resources, social media has advanced far faster than most people realized or wanted.
Misinformation has become so commonplace, gatekeepers and content moderators are required. But now—with the gradual removal of these gatekeepers—the misinformation and malicious actors that were starting to decline may be on the rise again and hard to stop.
Social media’s core circuits need rewiring.
In response to these and other questions, the 2023 MIT IDE Social Media Summit (SMS@MIT) was held virtually on May 23, attracting an audience of more than 17,000 live viewers. Session topics included the role of AI, combating misinformation, and achieving the promise of social media.
View and download the event report below.