Theme table social networks

At the theme table "Switching off social networks - saving democracy?", the participants discussed the role of social networks in the context of democratic opinion-forming under the moderation of Michael Mäs (KIT). For a long time, social networks were seen as a way of making public debate and opinion-forming more accessible and democratic. In recent years, however, they have been increasingly criticized for promoting hate speech, polarization of opinion and the spread of falsehoods.

Procedure

In the morning, the focus was on analyzing social media as an increasingly influential space for public debate. The group discussed the extent to which social networks contribute to polarization through algorithmic mechanisms and what responsibility platform operators bear for this. It became clear that the social effects are complex. Although studies have shown both positive and negative effects, many participants see this as a significant threat to democratic negotiation processes, particularly in conjunction with populist movements and the devaluation of scientific facts.

A central point of discussion was the question of necessary regulation: should tech companies be legally obliged to disclose their algorithms or prove that they do not systematically promote filter bubbles, for example? On the one hand, the group emphasized the democratic necessity of transparency and accountability - on the other hand, the challenge of preserving economic freedom and intellectual property in a liberal order was also addressed. The discussion benefited from the interdisciplinary composition: social science perspectives on media effects met with technical insights into algorithmic structures and economic considerations.

Conclusion

The work in the group was perceived by many as a lively and intensive examination of one of the most pressing issues of our time. In particular, the combination of different professional backgrounds fostered a deep understanding of the complexity of platform regulation. For the participants from computer science, it became clear how strongly technical decisions have social consequences - and how necessary it is to think about social responsibility as early as the training stage. Participants from the social sciences recognized how difficult it can be to technically implement ethical or social ideals such as secret ballots.

As a concrete result, the group formulated the demand to not only discuss digital democracy, but to test it in practice - for example through pilot projects at KIT. The desire for more space for cross-group exchange was also expressed. Overall, the discussion table confirmed the relevance of actively shaping digital spaces democratically - through regulation, education and participation.

Contact

Prof. Dr. Michael Mäs: michael maes∂kit edu