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Mechanisms that Shape Social Media and their Impact on Society

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The aim of this report is to provide a systematic, empirical and theoretical analysis to better understand the mechanisms that shape social media and their impact on society.

It also aims to create scientific insight about the functioning of fast-evolving social networks weaved by social media and to assess which strategies can be deployed to ensure that the information exchanged is accurate and truthful, without limiting the freedom of speech that democratic institutions must provide.

The essence of the proposed approach is in shifting the focus from the content of information to the very architecture of the informational networks. Actions like deploying counter narratives, debunking and fact checking can produce some results but they’re basically unable to deal with psychological effects which derive from living in such a complex and problematic information ecosystem.

 

Mechanisms that Shape Social Media and their Impact on Society – Report on the State-of-the-Art in Research