social media

Michael Lynch on MSNBC Talking about Social Media Use in Public Life

The University of Connecticut Humanities Institute (UConn-UCHI) director and HCPL co-PI Michael Lynch joined MSNBC's Morning Joe and company to talk about his new book "Know-It-All Society: Truth and Arrogance in Political Culture." His book examines the predominant way that social media is deployed in today's culture. Facebook and Twitter are not necessarily used to share facts, knowledge, or accurate information, but are rather avenues for us to express our public courage at those who do not share our convictions. Social media, arrogance, and personal convictions are the ingredients for an addictive drug that fans the flames of our public divisions and grounds us in our tribal affiliations: white nationalism and authoritarianism to the right, and identify politics and arrogant liberalism to the left. What's the solution? Perhaps a dose of humility. Michael Lynch is also the Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of philosophy at UConn.