Letâ€™s Talk About: Digital Threats to Democracy | Combating extremism in the digital world

Adolf Goebbels
Published on Jan 26, 2023
We all live with heightened concern about extremism, from the streets of faraway nations to our own neighborhoods. Social media and other online platforms are fertile ground on which extremism can grow and intensify. Experts are concerned not just about violent attacks, but about threats to democracy itself. Fortunately, social scientists have identified intervention possibilities backed by empirical research. Better yet, new programs are in the works to bring that research to civil society where informed counter-measures may be developed and implemented.

Join us for a conversation with a leading national expert on democracy, extremism and what we can do about it. Brian Hughes is a Research Assistant Professor in the program of Justice, Law, and Criminology at American University. Dr. Hughes is a Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Entrepreneur. He is also the co-founder and Associate Director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL), where he develops studies and interventions to reduce the risk of radicalization to extremism.

ABOUT OUR DISCUSSION SERIES:

Disinformation. Conspiracy theories. Extremism. Surveillance. Our democracy is threatened as never before by toxic online content. The social media giants seem unable, or in some cases unwilling, to control the flood of lies and manipulative practices. The staggering â€” often hidden â€” reach of Big Tech into our lives endangers civil society, our civil rights, and our privacy. In a "post-truth" world we risk losing the shared understanding that underpins our democracy.

Each month, weâ€™ll explore a different facet of this crisis with guest experts. Participants are encouraged to prepare for the discussion by reading one or two suggested brief articles.