Critical ignoring when information abundance is detrimental to democracy

Abstract

We live in a world of democratic backsliding, and simultaneously, in a world of information abundance. Initial expectations that the access to vast amounts of information provided by the Internet will facilitate democracy have been disappointed. We highlight how information abundance can be detrimental to democracy, from triggering misinformation cascades to generating coping strategies that result in reduced political accountability. We propose that information abundance is best met through critical ignoring; that is, the strategic decision not to consume certain content. We present new techniques of critical ignoring that permit people not only to cope with information abundance but also to avoid contributing to democratic decline.