RAND Corporation: Truth Decay

Too many in US leadership and the general public rely on feelings rather than rational analysis, facts and lessons from history, and such trends explain increasing rejection of contributions to US prosperity by education, science or globlaization. Four trends mark what Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael D. Rich label as a decay in truth: disagreement over facts and data, blurred boundaries between opinion and fact, exponential increases in information and reduced trust in once respected information sources. The Rand Corporation report points to four of many causes: cognitive processing, new information sources including social media and 24-hour news cycles, an education system with reduced emphasis on critical thinking, and polarization. “The most damaging consequences of Truth Decay include the erosion of civil discourse, political paralysis, alienation and disengagement of individuals from political and civic institutions, and uncertainty over national policy,” they write. Kavanagh and Rich recommend interdisciplinary research to raise awareness among educators, policymakers and journalists and examination of media content, education curricula and technology’s role. All organizations can assess their own role in society’s reduced trust and respect for truth and the inevitable damages including a decline in democracy. – YaleGlobal