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this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2026
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We have study after study showing various prominent social media platforms are bad for mental health, so that part feels pretty clear
Destabilizing society is a harder one to show, but I'd argue Cambridge Analytica, and similar programs are what got Trump elected in 2016. Social media played a very interesting part in elections in the Philippines as well, due to the inability for most to fact check any information shared on social media (Meta/Facebook provided cell service for free only to their platforms)
It's undeniable that large numbers of bots are used to shape public perception of topics. Several talks at Black Hat and Defcon have investigated specific attack chains used, and how sock puppets are used to spread specific misinformation
Given those factors, I think it's fair to say social media is destabilizing society. It's far too easy for relatively small groups to affect public perception. That isn't to say propaganda didn't exist before, just that it's a far more powerful tool than has ever existed in history
Obviously negatively, and I think it's irrational for Americans to feel positively about it. For an average citizen, a foreign country controlling a platform like that should be a good thing. China can't do anything to me. I don't have to fear reprisal from China for speaking out against the government. I do have to worry about reprisal from the US
Further, China has far fewer incentives to shape the opinions and discourse of Americans. Obviously they want to push a pro-China message, but that's a relatively small sub-sect of American politics compared to the issues the US government would like to shape public opinion on