Democracy is fragile.
On Jan. 6, 2021, far-right ideologues tried to tear apart the delicate fabric with which our society’s governing bonds are woven and forcefully overturn the will of our nation’s voters. The insurrection at the United States Capitol left citizens reeling from the audacity of the attempted coup and searching for answers about how to prevent future assaults on our republic.
Even in Hawaii, the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attacks was painfully felt. Security barricades were erected on the grounds of the state Capitol in advance of Inauguration Day, after threats were made against political officials throughout our country. At a time when pandemic protocols emptied the people’s house of visitors, the U.S. Capitol riots only further alienated elected leaders from the constituents they serve.
As Congress’ investigation into the insurrection has revealed, much of the madness that occurred on Jan. 6 was organized online. Cyberspace is no longer an undiscovered frontier. Today, our virtual and actual lives have become inextricably comingled. If we are not careful, though, technological advancement can generate the digital reproduction of inequality, discrimination, and violence. Accordingly, we must make media literacy a central component of our state’s education system.
According to a 2018 report published by the data clearinghouse Statista, 64% of teenagers in the United States have encountered hate speech on social media. At the same time, incidents of political violence have been escalating. The Washington Post reported in 2021 that right-wing extremists have been involved in 267 plots or attacks in the U.S. since 2015, resulting in 91 fatalities.
Furthermore, more than half of the deaths caused by right-wing confrontations were committed by people who voiced support for white supremacy. Many of those outbursts were organized virtually amidst the shadows of social media. The Washington Post’s investigation found that from 2015 to 2020, the use of websites and social media by right-wing extremists rose in five of the six years that the news outlet studied, leading Georgetown Professor George Hoffman to call social media a “propellant” for the spread of violent extremism.
Investing in media literacy would empower our youth to defuse outbursts of digital violence and intolerance. It would also strengthen public health for our island home. During the pandemic, disinformation about vaccine safety and health-care protocols spread almost as rapidly as the virus itself. To effectively cure our society of anti-scientific hysteria, it is imperative that we equip our children to identify factual evidence and employ sound reasoning when communicating online about the fundamental nature of current events.
During this year’s legislative session, multiple proposals to promote media literacy and civic education were introduced by policymakers. House Bill 79 and Senate Bill 914 would have authorized school complexes to incorporate media literacy into their curriculum, including content that addresses the consequences of misinformation, disinformation, digital discrimination, and online hate speech.
While these measures did not advance, the Hawaii Department of Education is currently reformulating its strategic plan in consultation with education stakeholders and community members. The department would be wise to incorporate language into its final plan that makes thwarting disinformation and online extremism a strategic priority for our public school system.
It can be easy to neglect the foundations of our democracy. From housing insecurity to financial instability to the climate crisis, our society is simultaneously facing many pressing challenges. If we safeguard the pillars of our public sphere from digital mayhem, however, then we will give future generations a chance to resolve those concerns with tranquility and hope.
Kris Coffield chairs the Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus and is a Landecker Democracy Fellowship recipient.
