The Perils of Echo Chambers in a Critical Election
The Epidemic of Deceit
We are about to have an important election, and the country has to make a choice that goes beyond traditional party preferences. It’s not just about politics; the truth is being attacked in ways that have never been seen before in modern American history—full stop. The book “Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality” by Renee DiResta came out just as the U.S. is about to have another important election. It looks at how social media has helped spread lies, which for a disturbingly large number of people become true. DiResta’s book takes us on a trip through the carefully planned lies that have taken over society. The most timely example of this is the estimated 30,000 times former President Donald Trump spread false information either at rallies or via social media platforms since 2016. Based on research from the New York Times, which was meticulously put together, Trump’s lies are more than just exaggerations. They show a well-thought-out plan to manipulate, trick, and change the very nature of truth. People who are voting in this election need to think carefully about what is at stake: democracy itself.
Ask yourself—do we want to live in a reality built on lies? Are we prepared to allow the falsehoods that marked Trump’s presidency to become the accepted language of American governance?
The Disneyland Outbreak: A Study in Misinformation’s Cost
The well-known measles outbreak that occurred at Disneyland in 2014 serves as the example that DiResta uses to demonstrate what occurs when individuals distribute misleading information. An outbreak that began with a single case grew to more than 600 people, primarily as a result of the dissemination of incorrect information regarding vaccines on the internet. In her book, DiResta emphasizes how critical it is to understand and explore ways to interrupt the dissemination of incorrect information, highlighting that it can be lethal, regardless of whether it is about measles or COVID-19.
During the time that Trump was in office, this issue got ten times more severe, and it went from being a concern to public health to being used as a political tool. But he has a long history of this – I digress. It was simpler for people to be confused and misled as a result of his actions, which included spreading misinformation about the epidemic, challenging mask legislation, treatments, and making light of the expertise of experienced by professionals and scientists. I remember 2020 vividly. As a housing professionals, one of my many new responsibilities during that time was to negotiate roommate conflicts, that frequently involved parents, between two occupants of a room. The conflict would typically play out like this – one residential students would follow campus COVID-19 protocols and saw COVID-19 as the true danger it was back then. Then the other residents thought it was all a hoax, and campus COVID policies were a manifestation of liberal snowflake hysteria yada yada and yada. This was personally challenging for me as a student affairs professional, as well as for thousands of my colleagues.
Trump played a big part in making a historically challenging times more challenging by his incessant compulsion to spread lies and legitimize false stories about the pandemic while he was in office: This included, but was not limited to, :
- Undermining Mask Laws: Trump constantly played down the importance of masks, often going against what public health officials said. The fact that he didn’t want to wear a mask himself and made fun of people who did sent mixed messages to the public, which made them less likely to support this important safety measure.
- Not Listening to Scientific Experts: The president often didn’t listen to or believed the advice of scientific experts, even those working for him. This made a setting where expert information was seen as less important and more political.
- The president himself disseminated a great deal of misinformation on the pandemic, medications, and vaccines by making numerous statements that were either not accurate or did not make any sense. His followers contorted themselves into anti-intellectual knots in an attempt to explain away his jokes (and I really do not buy he was joking) about injecting chlorine to clear the body of COVD-19.
Ask yourself, when we reject facts in favor of fiction who benefits? When public health becomes a pawn in the game of disinformation, who suffers? Consider the cost of these lies to families, communities, and the nation’s ability to respond to crises.
The Authoritarian Echo Chamber
The research and analysis conducted by DiResta, which is based on years of analyzing disinformation at the Stanford Internet Observatory, indicates the significant impact that social media has had in spreading Trump’s never-ending line of lies. In the book “Invisible Rulers,” are individuals or entities that influence narratives from behind the scenes, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and others have become a safe haven. Trump’s persistent reliance on these platforms was neither accidental nor unintentional under any circumstances. It was a calculated strategy to take advantage of echo chambers, which served to reinforce lies until they became a strange sort of truth. In this manner, he was able to persuade his followers that the allegations he made were had foundation, ranging from the notion that “millions of illegal votes” cost him the popular vote in 2016 to the notion that Russian interference in the election was a “hoax”.
Imagine this power unleashed unchecked. He would now have no one around checking him just acolytes and yes, people. When platforms prioritize profit over truth, accountability disappears. If lies can thrive on platforms seen as public forums, how can democracy endure?
January 6th: Misinformation’s Climactic Eruption
On January 6, 2021, Trump told an angry crowd to storm the Capitol Building, using lies about a “stolen election” to make his case. Don’t believe me, here is the transcript of his speech before a violent mob stormed the capital. This was arguably the most disturbing moment of Trump’s presidency. Not only did this deadly uprising show how flawed Trump is as a person, it also showed how vulnerbale our country and citizens are to misinformation. For God’s sake, one of the individuals helping to spur on these folks—some of whom knew better, while many simply didn’t—was Alex Jones. Yes, the guy who had the audacity to claim that Sandy Hook was a false flag operation. I’m sure Alex regretted his campaign of misinformation for personal profit about 1.5 billion seconds after the jury returned a staggering settlement following a long trial. Social media sites were once praised as democratic spaces where people could share their thoughts freely. But over time, they became tools for a planned campaign of disinformation, spreading lies to a large portion of the American public and making them more radicalized.
The Netflix documentary “Stop the Steal” goes into this topic in great detail. It shows how Trump and his supporters spread the lie of a “rigged election” by using a computer-controlled system to spread false information and let it grow without any checks or balances. Completely disregarding the phenomenon of the “red wave” and “blue shift” on election night, which most informed election pundits and experts are aware of and acknowledge.The documentary, featuring all red blooded conservative Republicans, by the way, looks at how the story of election fraud became so popular even though it was repeatedly rejected by both Democrats and Republicans in government and the courts! It shows how quickly lies spread through social media algorithms that are meant to get people to interact with them, turning a fringe theory into “reality” for millions of Americans.
“Stop the Steal” shows how dangerous it is for false information to spread without being checked: it can destroy trust in the government and lead to violence and chaos, like the attack on the Capitol. The documentary shows how Trump’s angry claims about election fraud were so strongly echoed in these online “echo chambers” that by January 6, his fans really thought democracy was in danger. The people who stormed the Capitol that morning were filled with false information and angered by Trump’s speech that morning. They thought they were “patriots” protecting their country from an unconstitutional government, which is a sad irony that is made clear in Stop the Steal.
In my dissertation study, I used the January 6th insurrection as an example of one of three converging critical events that sped up the departure of professionals from the field. This was because it showed how crazy the years 2020 and 2021 were for everyone. For clear-headed people, this time was a strange journey through a landscape where the lines between reality and fantasy had not only become fuzzy, but seemed to disappear completely. It’s okay to be upset by the suggestion that you might not be fully aware of what’s going on. The harsh truth is that the events leading up to the attack on the Capitol made it clear what happens when you give up reason and believe a story that is not based on facts.
When pervasive falsehoods erode a democracy, it becomes vulnerable and prone to destabilization. This attack on the Capitol made it exceedingly clear. A situation in which BS is easily disseminated leads to people becoming angry, distrustful, and divided, which in turn destroys the basic foundations upon which the government is built. There is also a discussion in the book “Invisible Rulers” by DiResta about the basic problem that this poses: when politicians exploit the “invisible rulers” of social media and fake news to get what they want, democracy is in danger of disintegrating. Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), which is a conservative think tank, and a key voice in assessing and critiquing the events that occurred on January 6th and their consequences for American democracy, blamed a significant portion of it on tribalism.
“Stop the Steal” backs up DiResta’s case and tells us to understand the real danger of a society moving farther away from facts that can be checked. Because trust, openness, and a shared reality—the things that hold democracy together—begin to break down when the truth can be changed. In this kind of world, those who are awake are left to watch, often in shock, as the structure of reasonable conversation falls apart under the weight of widespread fantasy.
Will we allow the echoes of these lies to linger unchallenged? Can a nation divided by falsehoods stand united?
What is Their/Our Responsibility? The Right Way to Use Power
According to DiResta, influential people, such as political leaders and social media moguls, ought to conduct themselves appropriately. Many Americans have questions about Trump, and her work echoes those: Is it possible to have a democratic leader who considers truth to be expendable? For instance, he intentionally misrepresented himself by saying things like “millions of illegal votes” or that his country was the “highest-taxed nation in the world” on multiple occasions. As a political strategist, Trump’s game plan is to distort the truth and use it to prop up his cult of personality. A harsh reality is brought to light by this manipulation: unethical leadership can only result in totalitarianism.
Totalitarianism is a government system where one leader or one party has total control over every part of people’s lives. This includes the economy, schools, art, science, and even what people think and believe. In these systems, people’s freedoms are very limited. The government often uses propaganda (biased information) and watches people closely to keep their power.
Some people, and I am one of those people, think that much of former President Donald Trump’s words and actions might align with this idea. Here are some reasons why opinions are divided:
- Criticism of Important Institutions: Trump often criticized the media, judges, and the election process. He called the press “the enemy of the people” and questioned whether election results were fair. Critics say this could make people lose trust in these important parts of our democracy.
- Focus on Personal Power: Trump’s leadership style often highlighted his own authority. He sometimes skipped normal procedures and rules, which some people see as a way to gather more power for himself.
- Strong Nationalist Messages: He used powerful nationalist language and appealed to certain groups to gain support. This approach is sometimes linked to totalitarian leaders who try to unite people under a common identity.
Supporters of Trump say that he was trying to change things that weren’t working well. I say give me break…enough is enough.
As citizens, we must ask ourselves: Are we willing to entrust the future to someone who treats truth as optional? Does integrity matter to us in our leaders, or have we grown numb to dishonesty?
The Path Forward: A Call for Vigilant, Critical Citizens
Despite the grim picture painted by DiResta, she remains hopeful that informed, critical citizens can disrupt the grip of these invisible rulers. Her book underscores the potential for digital literacy, accountability, and new media platforms that prioritize truth over engagement. But this change requires us to take a stand. It requires us to vote, to fact-check, to demand transparency. As we approach this election, we must embrace the responsibility to be both discerning consumers and responsible spreaders of information.
In the face of Trump’s cascade of lies, ugliness, and decades of deception, let’s get one thing straight: some of us have seen through this con from the start. I’m from NYC—trust me, we knew all about Trump long before The Apprentice came along to paint him as some mastermind mogul. And speaking of, the executive producer now wants to share that they helped engineer this “genius businessman” myth? Give me a break. Trump has never been a successful, intelligent, or
ethical business leader by any stretch. Lies, lies, and more lies. Enough already.
But I digress. DiResta’s call for a discerning, educated populace couldn’t be more urgent. If we don’t demand truth now, we may find ourselves in a country where facts don’t matter, and reality is defined by the loudest, most unhinged voices. We owe it to ourselves—and to the future of American democracy—to make this choice with eyes wide open.
For those in my community (AA and Latino) who are still undecided, holding onto the notion that a woman can’t run the country—take a moment. Really think about that. If you’re a man of color, you already know that for too long, people believed there were things we couldn’t do. There was a time when folks doubted our intelligence, our capability, our right to exist in spaces we now inhabit with pride. Don’t fall for the same self-destructive, outdated sexism. Get it together. If anyone has proven the strength and resilience needed for this role, it’s Vice President Kamala Harris.
Or to anyone questioning her qualifications, please—give me a literal break. One could easily argue she’s one of the most accomplished women in U.S. history. We’re talking about someone who’s been a State Prosecutor, the Attorney General of California, a U.S. Senator (one of only five women of color in history to hold that seat), and now the Vice President of the United States. Let’s add that she’s the first woman, the first African American, and the first South Asian to ever hold this office. Qualified? She’s had to climb steeper hills, overcome more battles, and prove herself countless times against a world doubting her abilities—compared to someone like Trump, who inherited millions and still managed to bankrupt a casino.
Why are we even having this conversation?!!!!? The question isn’t whether she’s qualified—the question is whether we’re ready to support a leader who has had to fight tooth and nail to get where she is. So, let’s get real, get rid of the double standards, and recognize this for what it is: a historic opportunity for someone who has earned her seat at the table many times over.
No reflection questions with this post – NOPE.
Just go vote.
Seriously, enough excuses—put aside whatever biases, grudges, or hangups you might have about the VP and know this: she will do right by you, far more than Trump ever will. Unless, of course, you’re in the top 1% and like to hoard wealth at the expense of everyone else—in which case, sure, do you – Elon.
But if you care about a nation where everyone has a fair shot, where truth still has value, and where democracy still means something, then this election isn’t a choice; it’s a duty. Go vote, and let’s keep our future out of the hands of dangerous con men.
