Corrective Democracy? The Relationship Between Correction of Misinformation on Social Media and Connective Democratic Norms

Abstract

Of the many solutions to address political misinformation spreading on social media, user correction holds special promise for connective democracy given its emphasis on prioritizing user autonomy and fostering communication and connections across lines of disagreement. But for the connective democratic benefits to be realized, these user corrections should ideally come from those who express strong support for democratic norms. Using a nationally representative survey of Americans immediately after the 2020 U.S. presidential election, we find the opposite is true: self-reported correctors also tended to support political violence to achieve their goals. Rather than treating self-reported correction as a clear positive force for democracy, researchers and practitioners should consider the potential drawbacks and limitations of self-reported correction, particularly when coming from those with less supportive attitudes toward connective democracy.