Cognitive Dissonance in News & Social Media
April 2, 2023
TikTok Users are Making Fun of Congress Members for their Questions to App CEO Shou Chew - News Story by Ramishah Maruf:
This news story discusses the ongoing national security issues that the U.S. Congress has with the social media app, TikTok. TikTok has been connected to China through their shareholders, causing concern for users’ privacy and protection against online threats. With this, republican and democrat congress members joined TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, where they discussed questions and details about the app. As for the part that cognitive dissonance plays in this news story, it comes into play with these discussions Congress and TikTok officials had. Chew testified before the House Committee for Energy and Commerce that “the app does not use body, face or voice data to identify users, and the only face data the app collects is for ‘filters to have sunglasses on your face’” when asked about facial recognition tactics for the apps’ algorithms. Congress members, such as Georgia’s Buddy Carter, argue that TikTok “poses a national security risk” since it recently updated its privacy policy allowing it to collect biometric data.
As a result of these discussions, many people, especially users of TikTok, think and suggest that Congress members don’t understand how modern technology works. There are thousands of video clips, mocking members of Congress and their questions about TikTok accessing your home WiFi network and other issues. Many people think that the very people (members of Congress) who are supposed to understand and examine this technological social media app cannot even understand basic modern technologies like WiFi, let alone complex policies, analytics, and terms and conditions of a social media app. Even “the ‘yes or no’ style of interrogating on topics that were complex, or frankly irrelevant, were a major point of exasperation for users,” as author Ramishah Maruf phrases. This issue fits nicely within the topic of Cognitive Dissonance, where two ideas or concepts do not work together. In this instance, the problem lies where people believe that those who protect from online security threats would be well informed and knowledgeable about these apps, topics, and technology. However, from the evidence of Congress members seemingly not knowing how WiFi works, it can be concluded that these Congress members are not, in fact, the best suited to protect U.S. citizens from online security threats. Further on, this article goes on to show people’s opinions about how these congress members are “out of touch,” mocking and criticizing their lack of knowledge about the topic.
Cognitive Dissonance can be extremely useful when examining this news article, specifically in the details of the varying opinions. Many people deal with the disconnect of U.S. Congressmen’s Technology Security Team not knowing or understanding how technology works in different ways. Several people mocked or made fun of them, creating humorous videos that millions of people liked. Others criticized them more harshly, even going as far as saying “there needs to be an age limit in Congress.” Through this lens of Cognitive Dissonance Theory, it’s definitely eye-opening when examining the disconnects and the way that people behave to them in order to find a way to deal with the uncomfortableness of that disconnect.
2. The Role of Cognitive Dissonance in the Pandemic - News Article by Elliot Aronson and Carol Tavris:
This news article by Elliot Aronson and Carol Tavris examines the different ways that people have justified their choices from and during the COVID-19 pandemic. They examined their claim of Cognitive Dissonance: the claim that once you make a decision, you find any way possible to justify your choice and find reasons to dismiss the alternative options. The further along you are in this process, or the more time after you’ve made your decision, the more mentally challenging it is to admit being wrong or turning back. In regards to the pandemic, the authors argue that Covid became more of a political choice than a medical one, especially when taking advice from medical professionals, the government, scientists, and public-health experts. Americans had to choose whom to follow and believe information from, even if the potential of them being wrong was there. This article explores how some of these decisions can lead to dangerous consequences, especially regarding this deathly contagious illness. If someone decides to go hang out with friends, that decision is directly dissonant with all safety information from professionals, telling you that it might be dangerous to you and your friends.
In order to deal with this cognitive dissonance, people can either resolve their problem by making a compromise, or changing their opinion or mind about what to do. As for making a compromise, many started to wear masks in public to avoid catching or spreading COVID-19, but they could still be involved and experience the world without giving up their priority of their health. On the other hand, one could alter or change their opinion or belief in order to resolve that internal dissonance. An example of this that they discuss in the article is when discussing Covid, and how some will choose to ignore it and continue on without worrying about it. With this tactic, people knowingly choose to ignore the danger and continue on. However, changing your opinion after already making it can be extremely hard to do, as people yearn to stick to what they believe in- spending money, time, and effort to keep that belief.
All in all, this cognitive dissonance theory is heavily discussed and examined throughout this news article, especially when looking at the issue of various people’s reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. This way that people follow others, even with limited information, and then being asked to explain that decision causes dissonance- with the accused and the accuser both standing confused by differing beliefs. Many throughout the pandemic did not change their opinion, since it is proven that cognitive dissonance makes it difficult, or even “impossible,” to do this. Using the lens of cognitive dissonance theory, this article is especially informative regarding explaining why people reacted the way they did during the pandemic, especially in 2020. Those who were overly worried and cautious versus those who were undistracted and unconcerned about the pandemic. Festinger’s theory of Cognitive Dissonance is shown strongly throughout this article, as his point of the powerful effects of our choices and the lengths we will go to tell ourselves these were the right ones. Even the authors seem like they are trying to put others with different opinions down, by approaching any decisions related to following the U.S. President Donald Trump with a negative context, even quoting Trump as “waiting for the miracle of the virus disappearing.”
3. The Cognitive Dissonance Surrounding Violence - News Article by Tyler Broker:
This news article written by Tyler Broker deals directly in the conversation between cognitive dissonance and violence. Broker explains that there are several causes for cognitive dissonance when looking at violence in the U.S., specifically the country’s leaders, the media, the public, and even ignorance of U.S. history. Using examples of each of these causes of distortion, the article explores how so many people have a “warped sense of violence,” after so many advances in the modern world. Broker argues that the majority of people right now think that we live in an era of increased crime and violence, which does not match the actual facts of decreases in physical violence, property crime, and wars compared to the world’s history. Even claims that the President himself made about “hordes of disease-ridden immigrants flooding the United States in order to commit crimes” are not true, so it needs to be examined when trying to separate facts from opinions. Trying to separate these facts from fictions is one of the hardest issues involved with cognitive dissonance. For example, as Broker explains, school shootings are being normalized as “the new normal,” even though it “can be quantitatively proven that American schools are one of the safest places in the world for children to be.” However, with increased exposure with the internet and social media, it has made us hyper-aware of any and all school shootings or violence, making it seem like the norm.
This article was posted on Above The Law, which is a news and insights website focusing on Law and Legal topics. Further along the article, Broker discusses the various acts of terrorism and violence throughout history, and how the world has gotten safer and equal in years past. Even those who long for “the good old days,” romanticize the time period and celebrations involving horrific actions like the Jim Crow era and discrimination and violence towards others. This statement really does not match with each other either, when trying to match the brutal, horrific acts with happy, celebratory times. They do not, and should not have these events happening together, causing discomfort and cognitive dissonance for everyone involved. Although all of these examples of violence are different, they all involve a sort of justification that someone created to solve their cognitive dissonance caused by violence as well. Through this lens, we will be able to identify our internal gut feelings of something being wrong regarding violence, and make change in order for us to live guilt free. Doing this, we can be better and constantly learn and grow from our previous mistakes, instead of just repeating history. Recognizing our progress throughout history, learning from our mistakes, and not blindly trusting made-up media without fact checking or forming your own opinion first are all key takeaways in striving to solve the cognitive dissonance surrounding violence in today’s world.