FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti 
From "freedom of expression" to algorithms of hate; digital technology is challenging the very foundations of democratic societies...
They were once considered the ideal tool for liberating independent voices, challenging autocrats, and strengthening democracies.
Today, social networks are increasingly seen as destabilizing factors for the very democracies that created them.
An extensive article published in "Vijesti" analyzed the impact of social networks, algorithms, and new technologies on the extreme polarization of Western politics, the spread of disinformation, and the growth of distrust in public institutions. It notes that instead of opening up discussion and strengthening dialogue, social networks are deepening the division between citizens, helping to fuel the rise of populism and extremism.
The example of Northern Ireland is significant: the author of the article points out that if the 1998 referendum on the Peace Agreement were held today, in the age of social media, it would not pass. The reason? Algorithms do not favor reconciliation, but polarization.
Studies by Francis Fukuyama and others show that the Internet has fundamentally changed the political terrain. The lack of information filters, the weakening of traditional authorities (media, institutions, academics), and the viral distribution of emotional content encourage the search for increasingly rigid identities and hostile to the "other."
The risk is not political in itself. Data from the US shows a link between increased mental health problems in adolescents (especially girls) and time spent on social media. Algorithms favor appearance, comparison, sharing and often... exclusion.
The article sums it up with a powerful statement: "Democracy rests on the capacity of citizens to share common facts and accept compromise. Social media, in its current form, undermines that."
For Balkan countries like Albania, where democratic institutions are still fragile and traditional media outlets lack widespread public trust, the influence of social media is even more dangerous. Any platform easily becomes a breeding ground for the spread of hatred, extreme nationalism, or misinformation imported from external actors.
In Albania, the lack of media literacy, combined with the lack of transparency in politics and a polarized party climate, makes the digital space vulnerable to manipulation. Politicians are no longer a source of information, but often a source of disinformation themselves, while the media often follows the logic of clicks, not truth.
In this reality, a national strategy for media education starting in high school, strengthening independent regulators, and algorithmic transparency is essential. Otherwise, Albania risks becoming an experimental laboratory for the misuse of technology in politics; where the best ideas no longer win, but the most toxic ones./ Pamphlet
Source: Vijesti.me ( original in Montenegrin )
Lini një Përgjigje