The Digital Manipulation
Algorithms influence us every day - be it because we watch videos on YouTube or exchange ideas with other users on social media. But if you know the psychological tricks and how they work, you can avoid them.
The corona pandemic has changed a lot, among other things it has fueled citizens' distrust of the state. Social media are not entirely innocent in this process. To do this, imagine a fictional person named Andreas who is worried about contracting Covid-19. Since he cannot read all the articles on the subject himself, he depends on tips from friends. Initially, he doesn't think much of people claiming the pandemic fears are overblown. But suddenly the government imposes a tough lockdown, which means that the hotel where he works has to close. Now that Andreas' job is in jeopardy, he wonders how serious the threat posed by the new virus really is. A colleague shares a post about "corona panic", allegedly created by pharmaceutical companies in collusion with corrupt politicians. After a quick web search, Andreas quickly finds articles claiming that Covid-19 is no worse than the flu. He then becomes part of a Facebook group whose members are also at risk of losing their jobs as a result of the pandemic. Several of his new friends plan to take part in a demonstration calling for an end to restrictions, and Andreas joins them. He is now convinced that Corona is a hoax.
Example illustrates how different cognitive biases affect judgement…
