Communication expert: Social media hate is often an 'illusion'

Carlos Scolari, a communication scholar who has researched the profound shifts in communication, advocates for a conscious "media diet" to navigate the digital age. Living in Barcelona, Scolari experienced firsthand the global communication dynamics surrounding the World Cup final, particularly the surge of anti-Argentine messages on social media.

"After the final, I did a social media detox: like with excess weight, you have to know how to change your diet," Scolari stated. He observed that while such online sentiments can feel overwhelming, they often originate from "small minorities of individuals" whose messages are amplified by algorithms. "We have to understand that it is an illusion," he explained, likening the phenomenon to seeing a mirage in the desert – an exaggeration that lacks substance upon closer inspection.

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After the final, I did a social media detox: like with excess weight, you have to know how to change your diet.

Scolari, who was in Buenos Aires for a conference on language, power, and society, highlighted how these online "illusions" can influence traditional media. He noted that news outlets often amplify these social media trends, turning them into front-page stories and daily news topics. This dynamic, he argues, blurs the lines between user-generated content and established journalism.

He further elaborated on the evolving media landscape, referencing Eliseo Verón's concept of media constructing realities. Scolari sees social media as a powerful force in creating realities from the "bottom-up," driven by algorithmic logic. In contrast, traditional media once operated with a "top-down" model. However, he observes that traditional media has increasingly adopted the "clickbait" approach to attract online engagement, creating a symbiotic, and sometimes problematic, relationship between the two systems.

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We have to understand that it is an illusion.