Social Media’s Dark Side Tainted Our Democratic Institutions

Social media's dark side has transcended the psyche of individuals and companies to taint our nation's democratic institutions. When political ads appear on Facebook from sources called "_american.made" or "Being Patriotic," but are actually from Russian "troll farms," it is something to take seriously in our sacred democracy. At the same time, we're learning that social media can influence society more than we think. Historically, media have changed politics. This, however, is a game-changer. The recently disclosed slew of ads that were bought by Russian troll farms on our biggest digital and social media networks reflected an attempt to influence voters, sow discontent and even inspire Americans to fight one another. The Russian efforts reached an estimated 126 million people on Facebook alone, but they also targeted Twitter, Google's YouTube and other networks.