How the overabundance of information shapes democracy – 10/05/2023 – Education

The Brazilian Constitution turns 35 this week, and the date invites us to an important reflection: how does the overabundance of information to which we are exposed influence the exercise of citizenship and, ultimately, democracy itself?

Access to multiple sources of information allows us to have a broader view of the world, from voices that have previously been little explored or completely excluded, opening up space for more people to participate in public debate, understand their rights and duties and respect democratic principles presented in the Constitution.

But, on the other hand, the overabundance of information also includes negative phenomena such as misinformation, conspiracy theories and hate speech, which challenge our critical sense and can erode the population’s trust in institutions. The full exercise of citizenship is only possible in an environment in which the right to communication and information is respected — and, today, this has a much broader meaning than it had in 1988, when the Constitution was promulgated.

Few decades have passed since then, but the world has experienced a tremendous revolution: we went from a stage of information scarcity, in which few groups in society (such as publishers and newspapers) had the power to produce and share content, to an information scenario almost infinite, in which everyone with access to the internet has the possibility of creating and publishing data, messages, videos and audios for a real audience.

The multiplicity of authors and the speed at which information currently circulates change the very concept of literacy, which needs to be expanded to take account of new languages ​​and formats. It is not enough to read what comes to us; It is necessary to interpret the intention of each message, consider the context in which it was created, evaluate who benefits and who is harmed by the content being disseminated. And this is directly related to the quality of our democracy, as we need reliable information to choose our rulers, monitor their actions and actively participate in public life.

Education for democracy cannot be dissociated from media education, which allows the development of essential skills to consume and produce content in a critical, ethical and responsible manner.

The importance of such a connection becomes clear when we think, for example, of one of the most celebrated principles of the current Constitution — which guarantees freedom of expression. There are those who abuse this right by publishing false or offensive content on social media, without understanding that freedom of expression is not a safe conduct for the practice of hate speech and other irresponsible manifestations on the internet and beyond.

May the anniversary of the Constitution be an opportunity to reflect on the gains and challenges of democracy in the era of an overabundance of information.