The way we receive information about our world is unlike any previous generations of humanity. Paradoxically, it's destroying democracy—and Trump's America is the main canary in the coal mine.
Modern humans consume information in a way that is unlike any of our ancestors. Many of the political upheavals of the last two decades can be attributed to political systems breaking apart as informational channels to voters splinter.
A decade and a half later, authoritarian regimes use the internet as a tool of control. The app formerly known as Twitter is in the hands of a conspiracy theory peddling billionaire who dabbles in Nazi salutes while amplifying bigots and zealots. And democracies are collapsing, as electorates are deluged with informational sludge—lies, half-truths, and conspiracy theories that foster mass delusion.