Procedure

This exercise consists of three parts.

In the first part, existing beliefs are made visible in a spatial positioning within the group based on the following three statements.

• “Social media leads to social division – filter bubbles are the best proof!”
• “Information from the internet is less trustworthy than information from a book or newspaper!”
• “Fake news, disinformation, and conspiracy theories – the internet makes us more manipulable!”

Participants are first asked whether and to what extent they agree with each statement. Depending on their agreement or disagreement, they position themselves on a line running through the room. The moderator can then ask individual questions about their positions to gain insights within the group.

In the second part, participants independently research the respective statements using online resources, thereby gaining further perspectives. To prevent participants from getting lost in the vastness of the internet, it is advisable to provide them with possible sources. The sources from the knowledge dossiers can be used for this purpose.

In the third part, participants should use these theses to develop their own position through discussion. The thesis discussion takes place in a plenary session, with the theses being presented one after the other for discussion.

Preparation

• The moderator prepares the content for the three theses using the knowledge dossiers and/or their own sources.

Notes on moderation

• During the first part, the moderator should ensure that participants do not get too involved in a discussion, but instead focus on sharing the reasons for their original spatial positioning.
• A differentiated discussion of the theses requires good preparation on the part of the moderator. The following detailed knowledge dossiers are intended for this purpose.
• Depending on the group’s level of knowledge, it makes sense for the trainer to actively participate in the discussion and contribute aspects. To this end, it is important to make your role clear at the beginning of the exercise.

Sources from the knowledge dossiers

• Knowledge dossier 1 – “Social media leads to social division – filter bubbles are the best proof!”
  • Broadband program overview – The filter bubble myth
  • Eli Pariser: Beware of “filter bubbles” on the internet
  • Thread by @chkucklick with a brief overview of scientific findings on the (non-)existence of filter bubbles
  • Filter Clash. The great irritability of the networked world | re:publica 2018
• Knowledge dossier 2 – “Information from the internet is less trustworthy than from a book or newspaper!”
  • Errors in school textbooks: Six out of ten!
  • Comparison test: Wikipedia beats the pros – DER SPIEGEL – Netzwelt
• Knowledge dossier 3 – “Fake news, disinformation, and conspiracy theories – the internet makes us more susceptible to manipulation!”
  • Fake news as current disinformation | bpb
  • Trolls, social bots, deep fakes – how fake news undermines our sense of truth
  • re:publica 2019 – Bernhard Pörksen: Farewell to internet pessimism.
  • Knowing what’s really going on – crisis and conspiracy narratives.